What is Ewing’s Sarcoma?

Ewing's sarcoma is a rare type of bone cancer that occurs most often in children and adolescents. About 250 new cases of Ewing’s sarcoma are diagnosed each year in the United States. Ewing’s sarcoma usually affects patients between the ages of 10 and 20, but infants and adults may also get the disease. Ewing’s sarcoma usually forms in the bones, but may also involve other soft tissues and organs. It most commonly starts in the backbone, pelvis, chest wall, legs, and arms. Ewing’s sarcoma is caused by a genetic change in a cell, in which DNA is swapped between chromosomes 11 and 22 causing it to become a cancer cell. However, there are no known causes of this chromosome 'translocation.'