What causes Ewing sarcoma?
A. Exactly what triggers Ewing sarcoma is not known. But we do know that the cancer cells in Ewing sarcoma almost always have a specific chromosomal abnormality causing normal cells to grow out of control. It is important to know that this chromosomal abnormality is not something a child inherits; it seems to be an “accident” that occurs in a cell sometime after birth. Often, the sarcoma cells are tested for this particular chromosomal abnormality, providing a tool that confirms the diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma.
