How Ewing Sarcoma Is Treated And Managed

Radiotherapy

Another line of treatment is radiotherapy, which is accomplished through the use of high-energy beams like protons and X-rays and helps kill the cancer cells. Radiotherapy may be recommended immediately after surgery if there are any remaining cancer cells that need killing. In some cases, this treatment might be used as an alternative to surgery. Ewing sarcoma may sometimes be located in a place where it's not possible to operate, or surgery might have unacceptable outcomes for the body's ability to function. When this occurs, a doctor will recommend radiotherapy to target the sarcoma. Ewing sarcoma also causes a fair amount of pain, which radiotherapy can help relieve.

Continue reading to discover more ways to treat Ewing sarcoma effectively.

Amputation

Amputation is the most extreme surgical option for Ewing sarcoma. Before more techniques were developed, the main treatment method for Ewing sarcoma was to amputate whatever limb was affected. Research indicates this cured roughly one in every five patients. When chemotherapy is used before surgery, it's now possible to preserve the limbs in more than seventy percent of patients. Doctors will typically focus on preserving the limb with as much function as possible.

In most cases where a doctor had to amputate, the patient was dealing with a recurrence of Ewing sarcoma. The first diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma will typically be treated with a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and limb-preserving surgery. If the cancer spreads beyond the affected limb, a doctor may not recommend amputation. When amputating would not feasibly cause a patient to be cured, it's not generally pursued as a treatment option unless absolutely necessary.

Learn more about how to treat Ewing sarcoma now.