Abstract
Aim: To review the epidemiology, prognostic factors and outcome of treatment for extra-osseous Ewing’s sarcoma.
Method: Thirty-four patients with a diagnosis of extra-osseous Ewing’s sarcoma were identified from a prospectively gathered national tumour database between 1961 and 2005. Patient demographics, clinical features, tumour stage, location and size, treatment received, local recurrence, metastasis and survival were all recorded. Survival was analysed using Kaplan-Meier methods. The average follow up was 45 months.
Results: The annual incidence of extra-osseous Ewing’s was 0.2 per million of population between 1970 and 2004. The five-year survival rate for extra-osseous Ewing’s was 62%, which is significantly better than previously reported in the literature. Indicators of a poor prognosis were extra-compartment spread of tumour, local recurrence and metastasis. The recorded annual incidence of extra-osseous Ewing’s sarcoma increased during the period of this study.
Conclusions: Extra-osseous Ewing’s sarcoma appears to have similar demographics and the outcome following modern treatment is better than previously reported and no worse than that reported for osseous Ewing’s.
Correspondence should be addressed to: Mr J. B. Hunter, BSCOS, c/o BOA, The Royal College of Surgeons, 35–43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE.
