European Intergroup Cooperative Ewing's Sarcoma Study

Please note: the EICESS'92 Trial is now closed to entry.
This page remains on-line for historical interest only.

Contents

* About the EICESS group
* About Ewing's Sarcoma of Bone
* About the EICESS '92 trial
* About the participating groups (GPOH, UKCCSG, MRC)

Note to patients: Remember treatment protocols and health care systems vary from country to country. It is always best to first discuss your concerns and information needs with your doctor who is familiar with your specific details.

Disclaimer: this page has been written for educational purposes only, it can not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. If you / your child have or suspect you or your child may have a health problem, you should consult your doctor.

If you have any comments about this page please send an Email to Simon Cotterill

[] About the EICESS Group

Study Chairmen: Prof. Alan Craft (UK), Prof. Herbert Jurgens (Germany).

The European Intergroup Cooperative Ewing's Sarcoma Study (EICESS) was formed in 1992. This is a collaboration of groups in Germany (GPOH), the UK (UKCCSG / MRC), and elsewhere. The aims of the group are to provide the best possible treatment for patients, and to improve survival and advance understanding of Ewing's sarcoma through large randomised clinical trials. The EICESS'92 trial was funded by a BIOMED-1 grant.

[] About Ewing's Sarcoma of Bone

Ewing's sarcoma is a type of bone cancer found in children and young adults. The peak incidence is between ages 10 and 20, it is less common in children under 5 or in adults over 30. Ewing's s can occur in any bone in the body; the most common sites are the pelvis, thigh, lower leg, upper arm, and rib. Diagnostic imaging (X-rays, MRI scans etc). will be used to show the exact site and size of the tumour and check to see if the tumour has spread elsewhere. A tiny sample of the tumour is taken (biopsy) for examination by a pathologist who will make the diagnosis. Patients will receive surgery and / or radiotherapy to the main tumour. Chemotherapy is needed to kill cancer cells that are circulating around the body away from the main tumour.

[GIF] Go to Bone Cancer FAQ
[GIF] Go to WWW Resources for Ewing's Sarcoma (Guide to Internet Resources for Cancer)
[GIF] Go to WWW Resources for Ewing's Sarcoma (Children's Cancer Web)
 

[] About the EICESS '92 Trial

EICESS '92 is a randomised clinical trial. In order to improve the prospects for people who develop cancer doctors are constantly seeking new methods of treatment. In order to assess whether any new treatment is better than the standard treatment randomised trials are run in which half of the patients get the standard treatment and the others get the new. It is not known which is better, that is why the trial is needed.

Patients with small tumours (less than 100 mls) have the same initial treatment but after surgery/and or radiotherapy half receive chemotherapy with ifosfamide the other half with cyclophosphamide. It is not known which treatment is best, it is the aim of the study to see if people can be cured with less side effects.

Patients with larger tumours (more than 100 mls) and/or metastases all receive identical treatment except that half will have an extra drug; etoposide. It is not known which treatment is the best, the aim of the study is to see if the chance of survival can be increased in spite of the possibility of more side effects.

Between May 1992 and October 1999, 1,051 patients with Ewing's sarcoma had been registered with the group. The trial is now closed to entry, a new "Euro-Ewing's" trial is underway.

[] About the Participating Groups


* Gesellschaft fur Padiatrische Onkologie und Hamatologie (GPOH)
* United Kingdom Children's Cancer Study Group (UKCCSG)
* Medical Research Council (MRC)
* Other Participants



[GIF][] The Gesellschaft fur Padiatrische Onkologie und Hamatologie (GPOH)
The GPOH is the specialist group of doctors who treat children's cancer in Germany. The GPOH has run two earlier studies for Ewing's sarcoma in conjunction with some other centres in Europe forming the CESS group. A central office was established in Munster for running clinical trials in Ewing's sarcoma and for providing centralised radiotherapy planning for GPOH centres. The GPOH is supported by Deutsche Krebshilfe.

* Go to the GPOH Home Page
[GIF] Go to the Deutsche Krebshilfe Home Page


[] The United Kingdom Children's Cancer Study Group (UKCCSG)
The UKCCSG is the specialist group of doctors who treat children's cancer in the UK and Eire. There are 23 specialist paediatric oncology centres which treat about 80% of childhood cancers in the UK. The group has a central Data Centre based in Leicester.

The UKCCSG is supported by the Cancer Research Campaign (CRC).

* Go to the UKCCSG Home Page


[] The Medical Research Council (MRC)
The MRC has a number of affiliated adult oncology centres, these include the two supra-regional bone tumour services for the UK.

[GIF] Go to the MRC Home Page

[] The Joint UKCCSG/MRC BoneTumour Working Group have run two earlier national studies for Ewing's sarcoma. The joint working group collaborate in various international studies including EICESS and trials of the European Osteosarcoma Intergroup (EOI). The working group consists of specialists in medical oncology, paediatric oncology, chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, and pathology. Current chairman: Dr Ian Lewis (Leeds).

[] Other Participants
Additional centres have participated in the EICESS study including centres in the Netherlands, Austria, and Saudi Arabia.
Back to the Department of Child Health Paed Onc Page

This page by Simon Cotterill
North of England Children's Cancer Research Unit
Department of Child Health
University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

First created: 03/96
Last modified:03/99