| What is Ewing's family of tumors?
Ewing's family of tumors (EFT) refers to a particular type of tumor that
is found in different types of tissue. About 150 children and adolescents
are diagnosed with EFT in the U.S. each year. It accounts for about 5
percent of all bone tumors in children.
When the tumor was first identified in the 1920s, it was called Ewing's
tumor and thought to occur only in bone tissue. Later, the same
type of tumor was found in soft tissues and named extraosseous (not
in bone) Ewing's (EOE). Another tumor very similar to Ewing's,
primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET), is a rare cancer found
in both soft tissue and bone.
Today, a tumor from this group is referred to as being from Ewing's family
of tumors (EFT) or a tumor of the Ewing's family (TEF). Ewing's tumor
of the bone is the most prevalent, followed by EOE and then PNET.
Although they can occur at any age, Ewing's tumors occur most often in
adolescents in their early teens. Usually, they occur in the middle
of the long bones, but may also occur in the pelvic bones or in the bones
of the chest.
What are the causes of Ewing's family of tumors?
The exact cause of EFT is not known, but it is believed to be due to changes
that occur in the chromosomes. Other theories and associations have been
suggested as risk factors.
What are the risk factors for Ewing's family of tumors?
Suggested risk factors for EFT include:
- race - occurs most frequently in Caucasians
- gender - occurs slightly more often in boys
- age - 64 percent of patients are between the ages of 10 and
20; 27 percent of patients under age 10
|
|
| What is a risk factor?
A
risk factor is anything that may increase a person's chance of developing
a disease. It may be an activity, such as smoking or diet, family
history, or many other things. Different diseases have different
risk factors.
Although these factors can increase a person's risk, they do not
necessarily cause the disease. Some people with one or more risk
factors never develop the disease, while others develop the disease
and have no known risk factors.
But, knowing your risk factors to any disease can help to guide
you to take appropriate actions, including changing behaviors and
being clinically monitored for the disease. |
|
