Can Ewing Tumors Be Found Early?

Ewing tumors (Ewing sarcomas) are uncommon, and there are no widely recommended screening tests for these cancers. (Screening is testing for cancer in people without any symptoms.) Still, Ewing tumors sometimes cause symptoms that allow them to be found early (before they have clearly spread to other parts of the body).

The most common symptom of a Ewing tumor is pain in the area of the tumor. Sometimes the tumor shows up as a lump or swelling on an arm or leg, or on the chest. Sometimes the lump feels warmer than the rest of the body, and sometimes the child or teen has other symptoms like a fever or not feeling well.

Of course, children and teens might get sore areas or lumps and bumps from normal activities. But pains or lumps that don’t go away (or that get worse) should be checked by a doctor. The same is true if a lump feels warm and/or the child has a fever. These symptoms are more likely to have other causes, such as an infection, but they need to be checked by a doctor so that the cause can be found and treated, if needed.