Stem Cell Therapies

Stem Cell Therapy

Ewing’s sarcoma is a medical condition that is characterized by the development of a malignant small, circular and blue cell tumor. This disease is not common. The cancer cells can be found in soft tissues or the bones. Some of the common places in the body where the malignant cells can be found include the pelvis femur, humerus, ribs, clavicle and so on. The exact cause of Ewing’s sarcoma is unknown. Some of the signs and symptoms of the disease include pain and swelling in the affected part of the body. Also, patients do complain of tiredness, weight loss that cannot be explained, fragile bones, that are prone to fracture and dislocation, and so on.  Being a malignant disease, this tumor does spread from its place of origin to other parts of the body. This makes the treatment of Ewing’s sarcoma more difficult. Some of the places the tumor can spread to include the lungs, bones and so on. It is important to go see a physician for the right diagnosis and treatment if one notices any of the signs and symptoms of the disease. Physicians would take the medical and personal history of the patient. Subsequently, further, the test would be performed on the patient, to confirm the diagnosis. Some of the evaluations done include physical examination, imaging tests such as the X-ray, Magnetic resonance imaging, Computed tomography scan, blood test, and biopsy. The biopsy is done to confirm the diagnosis. This disease cannot be prevented, and it also cannot be inherited. There are no risk factors for the disease. Doctors can buy stem cells online for the treatment of this disease.

                   What Are The Types Of Ewing’s Sarcoma?

Ewing’s sarcoma most commonly starts from the pelvis. The femur is the next most place where the sarcoma originates from. However, notwithstanding of a tumor originates from, they do spread from the site of origin to other parts of the body. Some of the places where a malignant tumor metastasizes to include the lungs, kidney and the heart. Ewing’s sarcoma can be divided into two types. These are;

  1. A bone tumor: This is the most prevalent type of Ewing’s sarcoma. According to statistics, about 90% of all types Ewing’s sarcoma belong to this category. A tumor might appear in the femur, the pelvis, ribs, and the shoulder blades.
  2. Soft tissue tumor: The soft tissue tumor grows in and also around the bones. This includes tissues around a tumor such as the cartilage and also the muscles. It is uncommon to find this kind of a tumor in the soft tissues of the arms, legs, head, neck, chest and the abdomen.

                 What Are The Causes Of Ewing’s Sarcoma?

The exact cause of Ewing’s sarcoma is not known yet. It also cannot be inherited, which means that it cannot be passed from parents to their children. It has been observed that the disease is not connected to factors such as radiation, chemical toxins, and so on. There have been some suggestions that the disease might be as a result of some alterations in the DNA structure, especially after birth, leading to the development of the disease. However, there is not enough evidence to back this up. There is another theory that Ewing’s sarcoma might occur secondary to initial cancer, especially in people who have undergone radiotherapy for a different type of cancer.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Ewing’s Sarcoma?

People affected by Ewing’s sarcoma do present with some common signs and symptoms. Some of the general signs and symptoms include bone pain, rigidity in the area of a tumor for a long time. This might get mistaken for injuries, especially sports injuries in children. Some of the symptoms presented by people affected by Ewing’s sarcoma include;

  1. Fever: Patients do present with a prolonged and persistent low fever.
  2. Lump: People affected by Ewing’s sarcoma do present with a lump near the surface of their skin. This lump does feel warm, tender and soft to touch.
  3. Abnormal movement: Patient does present with pain in their legs. As a result of this, they do limp, especially when walking.
  4. Bone pain: This pain usually gets worse at night and on exertion.
  5. Fragile bones: Patients affected by Ewing’s sarcoma do often present with broken bones. This occurs as a result of the fragility of the bones of the patient. This can be attributed to the growth and development of a tumor.
  6. Fatigue: Patients might experience chronic fatigue syndrome. This is a condition in which patients experience tiredness, even after resting. The duration of this syndrome is usually at least six months.
  7. Weight loss: This occurs due to the growth of a malignant tumor. A malignant tumor grows rapidly, without any control, thereby utilizing most of the nutrients in the body. This eventually leads to the loss of weight, which the patients cannot explain.

How Is Ewing’s Sarcoma Diagnosed?

It is essential to see a physician for the right diagnosis and treatment if one notices any of the signs and symptoms of the disease. Physicians would take the medical and personal history of the patient. Subsequently, further, the test would be performed on the patient, to confirm the diagnosis. Some of the evaluations done include physical examination, imaging tests such as the X-ray, Magnetic resonance imaging, Computed tomography scan, blood test, and biopsy. The biopsy is done to confirm the diagnosis

How Is Ewing’s Sarcoma Currently Treated?

The treatment of this disease depends on some factors. Some of the factors include the size of a tumor, where it has metastasized to, and the overall health status of the patient. Some of the treatment procedures for Ewing’s sarcoma include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and do on. Chemotherapy is usually the initial treatment given to patients. Medications are administered to patients. This is done mostly intravenously.  Surgery is also an essential aspect of the treatment procedure. In severe cases, the affected part of the body, such as the arm or leg might have to amputate.

Stem Cell Therapy And Ewing’s Sarcoma

Scientists are working on ways to utilize stem cell transplantation for the treatment of Ewing’s sarcoma. Hematopoietic stem cells are extracted from the bone marrow. The goal of the treatment is to eliminate all the cancerous cells in the body of the patient before new stem cells would be transplanted to the patient.

References

Gilman, A. and Oesterheld, J. (2008). Myeloablative chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue for Ewing sarcoma. Bone Marrow Transplantation, 42(11), pp.761-761.

Huang, M. and Lucas, K. (2011). Current Therapeutic Approaches in Metastatic and Recurrent Ewing Sarcoma. Sarcoma, 2011, pp.1-5.

Marec-Bérard, P. and Philip, T. (2003). Ewing sarcoma: The pediatrician’s point of view. Pediatric Blood & Cancer, 42(5), pp.477-480.

Meltzer, P. (2007). Is Ewing’s Sarcoma a Stem Cell Tumor?. Cell Stem Cell, 1(1), pp.13-15.