Ewing Sarcoma Genome-wide Association Study

Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is a pediatric bone and soft tissue tumor for which genetic risk factors remain poorly understood. DCEG investigators are studying inherited genetic variation to identify regions in the genome associated with increased risk of EwS. They accomplish this by comparing the frequency of genotyped genetic variants between EwS cases and ancestry-matched, cancer-free controls to identify genomic regions that are important for EwS susceptibility. This large (2,000+ cases), international consortium combines previously published data with new EwS cases to perform integrative analyses of newly discovered genetic susceptibility regions to identify local genomic structures and nearby target genes that may be important for EWS risk. The overall goal of the study is to expand understanding of EwS etiology and provide insight into improved treatment and potentially preventative measures to reduce the overall burden of EwS.