Askin tumor: a rare chest wall sarcoma in an Asian adult patient—a literature review and a suggested treatment protocol

Abstract

Askin tumor is a sarcoma of the chest wall of neuroectodermal origin, and is part of Ewing’s sarcoma family of tumors. It is a rare disease with high recurrence rates and poor prognosis. Management involves wide resection of the tumour with adjuvant/neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Advances in reconstructive options allow for wider resection margins that hopefully help to reduce local recurrence. Much of what we know about Askin tumors was extrapolated from Ewing’s sarcoma, and there is a lack of clear evidence and guidelines to the management of these tumors. We report a rare case of Askin tumor of the anterior chest wall in a 50-year-old Malay man and suggest a treatment protocol based on a review of current literature.