Primary cutaneous/subcutaneous Ewings sarcoma

Abstract

Amongst Ewing sarcoma family of tumours, (EFST), cutaneous/subcutaneous Ewing sarcoma are defined as tumours arising from cutaneous or subcutaneous tissue, not invading the underlying aponeurosis. They are rare tumours, with less than 200 patients published. They are typically small tumours (less than 5cm), and can arise at any anatomical location, with a particular tropism for distal, truncal and head/neck locations, compared to classical Ewing sarcoma. Like other conjunctive tumours, they have to be treated in specialized centers, with a diagnostic procedure following ESMO guidelines about soft-tissue tumours, favoring a core needle biopsy in most cases. They share classical pathological and molecular features of EFST (including EWSR1 rearrangement). Metastatic presentation is rare (less than 5% at diagnosis), but must be carefully searched using appropriated imaging considered the bad prognosis of these patients. Treatment strategy relies on neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy, surrounding the local treatment. Patients with localized disease have good prognosis and have to be treated with the dual objective of curability, and of minimizing acute and late toxicity. That is why in case of small tumours (<200mL), patients can be treated with less intensive protocols, as Saint Jude's (low-dose semi-continuous cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin regimen as induction chemotherapy and vincristine/actinomycin courses as maintenance therapy), setting aside the option of classical VDC/IE protocol for larger tumors. Local treatment must rely on carcinologic surgery, with the aim to avoid radiotherapy when possible. Patients with metastatic disease have bad prognosis resemble classical Ewing sarcoma, and have to be treated accordingly.

Keywords: Chemotherapy; Chimiothérapie; Ewing sarcoma; Extrasquelettal; Extrasquelettique; Sarcome d’Ewing; Sous cutané; Subcutaneous.