All information given here is of general nature only, a tumor therapy always belongs in the hands of an experienced oncologist!
Synonyms
muscle tumor, soft tissue tumor, soft tissue sarcoma
Definition
A rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare soft tissue sarcoma whose origin is the striated muscle (rhabdo = striation; myo- = muscle). Rhabdomyosarcoma is a (sub)form of sarcoma, which is categorized according to bone, soft tissue or connective tissue cancer.
Summary
Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children. There are three different forms of rhabdomyosarcoma, which differ in the shape of their cells on microscopic examination. They are listed below and their cell shape is briefly described: Rhabdomyosarcomas are generally found in the area of striated muscles, but they are most frequently found in the head and neck area, the urogenital tract and the extremities.
Symptomatically, rhabdomyosarcomas show different symptoms. The form of the symptoms depends on the location of the sarcoma. Pain and possible functional limitations are among the most common symptoms of such a disease.
- The embryonic rhabdomyosarcoma: immature, spindle-shaped cells
- The alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma: multinuclear giant cells (several cell nuclei); The rhabdomyoblasts also show cytoplasmic cross-stripping.
- The polymorphic rhabdomyosarcoma: rounded, elongated nuclei; pronounced nuclear polymorphism
If your child suffers from such symptoms, the doctor will usually arrange for an X-ray examination, which in case of suspicion can usually lead to further examinations. A tissue sample (biopsy) may be used for further examinations. As already mentioned above, different forms of rhabdomyosarcoma are distinguished, so that if the disease is present, the cell shape must also be taken into account for a more precise determination (microscopic examination).
The therapy is always individually tailored. It ranges from radical surgery to adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy (radiotherapy). Which form of therapy should be aimed at individually depends on the individual clinical picture.
The prognosis is also very individual and is particularly dependent on the location, spread and form (see above) of the sarcoma. The five-year survival rate is 60% on average. It can be described as rather unfavorable, since rhabdomyosarcomas form recurrences (renewed tumor growth) within one to two years. The therapy carried out also has a great influence on the respective prognosis.
