for four years, Elena Huelva fight a battle against Ewing’s sarcoma. It is a little known and too common in children and adolescents.
In one of her latest videos, shared through social networks and which accumulates more than 1.4 million views, the young woman has recounted her delicate state of health.
Huelva, 20, explained in this video, which lasts just over a minute and a half and was recorded from a hospital in Madrid, that “I wish I had never had to make this video… I have found more disease in the trachea, which is very dangerous. I don’t need to say much more.”
However, although the forces falter, the Sevillian influencer has made it clear that “I have already won.”
And it is that, it has become a symbol of struggle by making the disease visible, of which she was diagnosed at the age of 16, without losing her smile and optimism.
And his motto, “my desires win” is an example.
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“Whatever happens, I know that my life will not have been in vain, because I have fought and I have achieved what I want: to make visible”.
Ewing’s sarcoma: rare and before the age of 20
Ewing’s sarcoma is a very rare type of tumor, which occurs in the bone or in the soft tissue around it. Generally, the disease usually begins in the bones of the leg and in the pelvis.
Although it can occur at any age, most cases are diagnosed in children and adolescents.
It is estimated that half of all diagnoses occur between the ages of 10 and 20. In Spain, each year about 30 cases are diagnosed in children under 14 years of age.
The (SEOM) stresses that, despite its rarity, it is the fifth leading cause of cancer in young people between 15 and 19 years of age.
The prognosis depends on the extent of the cancer at the time of diagnosis and the response to treatment (radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and surgical intervention).
The causes of Ewing’s sarcoma are not clear. However, it is proven that the disease develops when a cell undergoes changes in its DNA, which most often affect a gene called EWSR1.
Regarding risk factors, in addition to age (more frequent in children and young people), it is also more likely in those with European ancestry. A higher risk than people of African or Asian descent.
The survival rate at 5 years (the percentage of patients who live at least 5 years) is 62%. This percentage increases considerably up to 82% if the tumor is localized. But if it has spread, the survival rate stands at 67%.
Ewing sarcoma symptoms
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Pain and tenderness in the affected area.
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Bone pain.
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Fatigue.
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Fever.
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Weight loss without apparent cause.
Ewing sarcoma treatment
Four types of treatment are used:
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Chemotherapy.
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Radiotherapy.
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Surgery.
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High-dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue, which is used for this type of localized, recurring (come back) tumor. After chemotherapy, a stem cell transfusion is performed to restore the destroyed cells.