Ewing sarcoma is a type of cancer usually found in children and young adults. Researchers use tissue samples of Ewing sarcoma tumors to conduct research with the goal of improving the treatments for this disease.

The purpose of this study is to maintain a tissue bank from tumor biopsies donated by patients with Ewing Sarcoma to learn about genetic changes seen in these tumors.

When Ewing sarcoma is suspected, doctors diagnose the disease by taking a sample of a patient's tumor for evaluation. Some of the tissue from this procedure is usually discarded. Study participants will donate the unused tissue from this diagnostic procedure.

Condition
Ewing's Sarcoma

Further Study Details: 

Expected Total Enrollment:  100

It is clear that improved understanding of the basic biology of Ewing sarcoma will ultimately lead to improved treatment approaches to this disease. With the identification of the invariant EWS-ETS fusion gene in these tumors, the search for new downstream target genes is ongoing with hopes of identifying new molecular treatment targets for drug development. Many important questions remain to be resolved, including the effect of translocation type on prognosis, the effect of submicroscopic molecular-only disease on long-term outcome and the identification of molecular targets and molecular determinants of prognosis. This study is designed to analyze biological factors of Ewing tumors, and for those patients enrolled on the local and metastatic Ewing sarcoma protocols, to relate the tumor characteristics and treatment outcomes. With this information it will be possible to further refine the aims of the next biology study. This study will also establish a bank of Ewing sarcoma tumors.

Genders Eligible for Study:  Both

Criteria

INCLUSION CRITERIA:
All newly-diagnosed Ewing sarcoma patients are eligible for this study.
Minimum specimen requirements to enroll a patient on AEWS02B1:
a) Parafin-embedded block or, alternatively, at least 10 (20 are preferred) unstained slides and 1-3 thick (50 micron) sections(s) from the initial biopsy.
b) Pretreatment blood consisting of at least 5 mL (14 mL preferred) of serum and at least 5 mL (10 mL preferred) of whole blood in EDTA (purple top tube).
Additional blood and bone specimens will be required from patients enrolled on a Ewing sarcoma therapeutic trial .
Signed informed consent for AEWS02B1 according to institutional guidelines is required.

Maryland
      National Cancer Institute (NCI), 9000 Rockville Pike,  Bethesda,  Maryland,  20892,  United States; Recruiting

Study ID Numbers:  030216; 03-C-0216
Record last reviewed:  May 19, 2004
Last Updated:  November 23, 2004
Record first received:  June 24, 2003
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:  NCT00063271
Health Authority: United States: Federal Government
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on 2005-04-08