children s health issues
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Introduction
Rhabdomyosarcoma is a fast-growing cancer that can develop in soft tissues (such as muscle) almost anywhere in the body. Rhabdomyosarcomas can develop anywhere, but the head and neck, genital or urinary tract, and limbs are the most common locations. Symptoms depend on where rhabdomyosarcomas develop. Diagnosis involves imaging tests and a biopsy. Treatment consists of chemotherapy, surgery, and sometimes radiation therapy. (See also Overview of Childhood Cancer .) About 400 to 500 cases of rhabdomyosarcoma occur in children in the United States each year. This cancer accounts for 3% of all cancers in children. Two thirds of cases of this cancer are diagnosed in children younger than 7 years of age. Rhabdomyosarcomas occur mostly in children. This cancer develops from cells that would normally develop into muscle cells. The cause of rhabdomyosarcoma is unknown. Although rhabdomyosarcoma can occur almost anywhere, it tends to occur most often in the following: Head and neck (in about 35% of cases): Most common among school-aged children Genital or urinary tract (in about 25% of cases), usually in the bladder, prostate, or vagina: Typically occurring in infants and toddlers Limbs (in about 20% of cases): Most common among adolescents Trunk or other miscellaneous sites (in about 20% of cases) Rhabdomyosarcoma can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. But it is usually diagnosed before the cancer has spread. About 15 to 25% of children are diagnosed after the cancer has spread. In these children, the cancer is most commonly located in the lungs. Bones, bone marrow, and the lymph nodes are other locations to which the cancer may spread. 