Askin tumor is a type of malignant tumor that attacks the soft tissues of the chest cavity. These tumors generally occur in children and adolescents who come from the Caucasoid race (white skin).
Askin tumor is a type of peripheral primitive neuroectoderm tumors (PNETs) are very rare. Symptoms of Askin's tumor can mimic those of empyema, lymphoma, and tuberculosis (tuberculosis). To diagnose Askin's tumor, it is necessary to carry out a complex examination.
Symptoms of Askin Tumor
Symptoms that generally appear in patients with Askin tumor are:
- Cough for a long time
- Chest pain
- Drastic weight loss
- Hard to breathe
- Fever
In some cases, Askin tumors can also be characterized by certain symptoms, such as:
- Pupillary diminution and drooping of the eyelids are common in Horner's Syndrome
- Regional lymphadenopathy
- Pleural effusion
- Damage to the ribs
When to go to the doctor
If you experience the symptoms of Askin's tumor as mentioned above, it is advisable to immediately consult a doctor to detect the presence of a tumor. That way, treatment efforts can also be carried out as soon as possible.
Causes of Askin Tumors
The exact cause of Askin's tumor is not known. However, this condition is thought to occur due to DNA mutations. This tumor often occurs in the Caucasoid race and male gender.
Askin tumor diagnosis
Askin tumor is a rare and rare disease. Doctors need to use many methods to diagnose Askin tumors. The doctor will ask about symptoms, medical history, and medical history in the patient's family.
Then, the doctor will perform additional examinations to confirm the diagnosis of Askin's tumor. Some of the supporting tests that will be carried out include:
- Scanning with chest X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs, to look for lumps or tumors in the chest cavity.
- Biopsy, to detect abnormalities in body tissues by taking samples from certain body parts.
Askin Tumor Treatment
Askin tumor treatment aims to remove the tumor and prevent the tumor from spreading. In general, there are several treatment options that can be given to treat Askin tumors. These treatment options include:
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy performed on Askin's tumor can be in the form of chemotherapy adjuvant (after tumor removal), or neoadjuvant (before tumor removal).
Askin tumors have a fairly high probability of recurrence (recurrence). Therefore, routine examination and control is needed after chemotherapy.
Several combinations of chemotherapy drugs that can be given to treat Askin tumors include doxorubicin, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, vincristine, etoposide, busulfan, melphalan, and carboplatin.
Since one of the side effects of the chemotherapy procedure is bone marrow damage, the doctor will advise the patient to have a stem cell transplant to replace the damaged cells after chemotherapy.
Tumor removal surgery
Surgical removal of tumor tissue may be performed when the tumor cannot be treated with chemotherapy. If Askin's tumor has spread, doctors may administer chemotherapy before surgery to remove the tumor to reduce the size of the tumor, so that the tumor can be removed more easily and the results are more effective.
Through surgical removal of the tumor, patients can undergo a better recovery. However, there is still the possibility of the tumor reappearing. Please note, surgical removal of the tumor is quite difficult to do if the tumor has spread (metastasized).
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy can be done before surgical removal of the tumor. Radiotherapy before surgery aims to shrink the tumor so that the function of the organ to be removed can be maintained as optimally as possible.
In addition, radiotherapy can also be given to patients who have undergone surgical removal of tumors. The goal of radiotherapy after this surgery is to destroy the tumor tissue that is not removed, as well as to reduce the chance of tumor recurrence.
After undergoing treatment, patients with Askin tumors should have regular check-ups for several months to several years to ensure that the tumor does not reappear.
Askin tumor is a malignant tumor and is quite difficult to detect in its early appearance. This condition causes the chances of healing to be low.
Askin Tumor Complications
In a minority of cases of Askin tumors, tumor cells may spread (metastasize). Askin tumor metastases can occur in several parts of the body, such as the lungs, liver, brain, adrenal glands, and lymph nodes in the middle chest cavity and abdominal cavity.
Askin Tumor Prevention
Since the exact cause of Askin's tumor is unknown, this condition is quite difficult to avoid. The best thing that can be done is to do an examination as early as possible when symptoms appear suspected of being an Askin tumor, so that the tumor can be treated immediately.
