Rare Bone Cancer: Teen Recovers After Ventilator Support In Delhi

A 17-year-old girl diagnosed with advanced Stage 3 Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer, has recovered after battling respiratory complications and spending nearly 10 days on ventilator support at a Delhi hospital. The teenager was admitted in a critical condition with severe respiratory distress, septic shock, low blood oxygen levels and low blood pressure, requiring ICU care and ventilator support, Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh said in a statement. According to the statement, doctors said investigations revealed that a large tumour originating from her ribs had completely occupied her right lung and displaced vital chest structures, leaving her dependent on a single functioning lung.

The patient had been suffering from progressive breathlessness and swelling in the upper back for over a year and had undergone alternative therapies before being brought to the hospital as her condition deteriorated, the statement said.

Ewing's Sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that appears as a solid tumour, most often in children and teens. Doctors say it affects nearly one in a million people globally.

A medical team led by Dr Suhail Qureshi, Additional Director and Unit Head, Medical Oncology, initiated chemotherapy in the ICU after stabilising her with ventilatory support, IV antibiotics and intensive critical care management, the statement said.

Despite the high risk involved in administering chemotherapy to a critically ill patient on ventilator support, the teenager showed gradual improvement over the next 15 days and eventually weaned off respiratory support, the statement said.

Subsequent Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan investigations confirmed that the disease remained localised to the chest, significantly improving her prognosis and chances of recovery with continued treatment.

"Ewing's sarcoma, though rare, is an aggressive but potentially curable cancer when diagnosed and treated in time through an evidence-based manner," Dr Qureshi said.

He said the patient's condition posed major challenges due to prolonged ventilatory support, severe infection risk and compromised lung function, but coordinated ICU management and continuous monitoring helped doctors safely begin treatment.

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