Experimental therapies in Ewing's sarcoma.
BACKGROUND
Ewing's sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumours (ES/PNET) are aggressive musculoskeletal tumours with a predilection for young people. With current treatments, significant numbers of patients relapse and survival is poor for those with metastatic disease.


OBJECTIVE
To review current experimental treatment strategies in ES/PNET and prospects for the future.


METHODS
A review of the literature and recent meeting presentations on established and experimental cytotoxic and biological therapies in the treatment of ES/PNET was performed.


CONCLUSIONS
New combinations of conventional and emerging cytotoxics show some promise. Molecular techniques are being used to identify high-risk patients and potential cellular targets. Several novel biologically targeted agents have demonstrated encouraging preliminary clinical efficacy; it is hoped these combined with current chemotherapeutic agents may improve outcome in ES/PNET.
Windsor
Rachael
R
The London Sarcoma Service, UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, First Floor Central, 250 Euston Road, NW1 2PG, London, UK. rachael.windsor@uclh.nhs.uk
Strauss
Sandra
S
Seddon
Beatrice
B
Whelan
Jeremy
J
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents