PRIMARY EWINGS-SARCOMA OF THE SPINE

Thirty-six patients with primary Ewing's sarcoma of the spine were dia gnosed at the Mayo Clinic between 1951 and 1988. The mean age was 17 y ears (range, 5-40 years). Neurologic symptoms and signs were seen in 5 8% of the patients. Forty-seven percent of all patients had an open bi opsy of the lesion and underwent a decompressive laminectomy. Three of the four patients with thoracic or thoracolumbar involvement had prog ressive kyphosis after laminectomy. All patients received radiation th erapy in various dosages. Sixteen of the patients were registered in t he Intergroup Ewing's Sarcoma Study. Intensive combination chemotherap y was administered to 32 of the patients. Nine patients were free of d isease at the final follow-up examination (follow-up ranged from 6 to 184 months). The 5-year survival rate was 33%. The mean survival time was 2.9 years. No significant correlation was found between the locati on of the tumor in the spine and the length of disease-free survival, overall survival, or incidence of metastatic disease. Patients enrolle d in the Intergroup Ewing's Sarcoma Study had significantly better rat es of disease-free survival and overall survival.