The role of surgical therapy in patients with nonmetastatic Ewing's sarcoma of the limbs.

Of 131 patients with primary Ewing's sarcoma (ES) with extremity locations, treated between April 1972 and May 1987, 13 had amputation; 56 had a local resection with 31 (55%) requiring radiation therapy (RT) as an adjuvant to local therapy. Sixty-two of 131 patients (47%) had RT only. Local recurrences were reported in 5% of patients treated with surgery alone, 1% of the group treated with surgery and radiation therapy, 24% of patients treated with radiation therapy alone (46% for cesium-radiation therapy, and 12% with cobalt-radiation therapy).