[Malignant round cell tumors : The Ewing sarcoma and beyond]

Ewing sarcomas are highly malignant tumors that are mainly found in children and adolescents. In addition to early clinical diagnosis, correct histopathological and molecular genetic classification is the most important step. Although EWSR1-FLI1 fusion is by far the most common detectable change, there are also other representatives of the Ewing sarcoma family that cannot be distinguished histopathologically and immunohistochemically from classical Ewing sarcomas and that have different molecular genetic profiles. Although a precise molecular genetic differentiation of the various representatives of small round blue cell tumors does not yet lead to any change in the standard chemotherapy and surgical treatment applied, it does allow an estimation of the prognosis and will probably contribute in the future to an even more individualized treatment of Ewing sarcomas within the framework of personalized medicine.