title: Treatment of patients aged over 50 years with non-osseous Ewing's sarcoma family tumors: five cases and review of literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most clinical trials on Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors include pediatric and adolescent populations, whereas clinical data on older patients are limited.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report on 5 patients older than 50 years with a tumor of the Ewing's sarcoma family treated recently in our department.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Myelosuppression and infectious complications were the main toxicity encountered. Major dose reductions and/or treatment delays were required in all 5 patients. One patient died of septic shock. Complete remission was achieved in the remaining 4 patients with the addition of different treatment modalities. One patient had lung metastasis 3 years after starting chemotherapy, and 3 patients have remained without evidence of recurrent disease for 1-6 years from the onset of chemotherapy
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is no definite answer as to whether older age is a poor prognostic factor in patients with a tumor of the Ewing's sarcoma family. In our experience, patients over 50 poorly tolerated the standard chemotherapy protocol used in the pediatric population.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oncology, Rambam-Health Care Campus, and Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. g_barsela@rambam.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Gil
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bar-Sela
authors.forename: Avivit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peer
authors.forename: Shelly
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rothschild
authors.forename: Nissim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*