Weight Loss May Improve Outcomes in Ewing Sarcoma Patients

BACKGROUND: Ewing sarcoma (ES) is an aggressive cancer in which the histologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy is a key prognostic factor. This study investigated the correlation between weight loss and chemotherapy response in 57 pediatric patients with ES. OBSERVATION: A significant, direct correlation (P=0.008) was found between weight loss and a good chemotherapy response: 93% of patients with ≥3% weight loss had a good response, compared with only 40% of those without. CONCLUSION: This may suggest that caloric restriction mimics the effects observed in other cancers, potentially reducing tumor proliferation and angiogenesis.