Symptoms
Ewing’s Sarcoma shares a number of symptoms with a number of more common, less life-threatening conditions, so just because some of the symptoms match, it doesn’t necessarily mean you, or someone you know has Ewing’s Sarcoma.
Symptoms can be caused by many things, so don’t rush to the wrong conclusions. The important thing to do is ensure anything worrying you is checked out.
Many GP’s will go their whole careers without seeing a case of Ewing’s Sarcoma, so more often than not it’ll be nothing serious.
Here are the symptoms:
- Pain & Swelling
Bone pain is the most common symptom of Ewing’s Sarcoma, and localised swelling at the site. The severity of this pain is variable, and will be worse if near nerves. It will often be most painful at night, even being painful enough to wake the sufferer from their sleep.
Bone pain can often be put down to growing pains, especially as the highest incidence is around the age of 15, when teenagers are often beginning to grow very quickly.
The important thing to remember is that growing pains in legs or arms will occur in both limbs, not just one.
2. Fever, tiredness or exhaustion, and weight loss
All three are much less common symptoms, and are more often not linked to bone cancer. Fever is normally linked to the site of the tumour, and the area that is painful may feel slightly warmer to the touch than the rest of the body.
However, once again, fever at the site is also associated with muscle injuries, broken bones, and other soft tissue injuries.
Tiredness and exhaustion that persists for a period of time, or comes and goes over a period of time, can also be indicative of Ewing’s Sarcoma.
Finally, loss of appetite of unexplained weight loss is another rare symptom of Ewing’s Sarcoma.
Most Ewing’s sufferers will not feel unwell before a diagnosis is made, as bone pain and swelling are the most common symptoms.