Functional results after partial pelvic resection in Ewing's sarcoma of the ilium

Ewing's sarcoma of the pelvis has an unfavourable prognosis. The clinical and functional results of 7 patients who had a Ewing's sarcoma of the pelvis stage IIB were reviewed. All patients received multiple-agent chemotherapy pre- and postoperatively (modified T6 and T2 protocol according to Rosen) and underwent local resection of the pelvic tumour. According to Enneking, five patients had a type IA resection, one patient type I and another type IIA. One patient received a course of radiation therapy postoperatively (50 Gy). Six of seven patients showed a good regression of the tumour after preoperative chemotherapy. One patient who had a giant-cell Ewing's sarcoma died of local recurrence and lung metastases 29 months postoperatively. The remaining six patients were monitored radiographically and clinically according to Enneking's functional evaluation score after a follow-up period of 136 months (range 40-199 months). All were free of disease and had neither local recurrence nor metastases. In five patients the functional results were rated as "good" or "excellent". The good results depend mainly on the reconstruction of the pelvic girdle and its mechanical stability.