Rhabdomyosarcoma Staging And Treatment

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a form of childhood cancer constituting 5-8% of all detected cancers among infants. It originates in the cells that would develop into skeletal muscle cells. Skeletal muscle attached to the bones is diverse from the smooth muscles that are found in the lining of the intestinal tract. The uninhibited growth of these muscle cells leads to the formation of masses or lumps known as tumors. This form of unrestrained growth could begin in any part of the body where skeletal muscle is present, though prevalently detected in the head and neck, prostate, bladder and vagina.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is commonly seen in infants aged between two to six years and in between fifteen to nineteen years. The male gender is observed to be affected more than females. In younger kids, the tumor is generally diagnosed in the head and neck and could affect the area surrounding the eye. Less frequently, rhabdomyosarcomas develops in the genitourinary tract in young children.

Rhabdomyosarcoma Staging

In case a child is having rhabdomyosarcoma, the doctor would additionally instruct to undergo tests for detecting whether the cancer cells have metastasized. This process is known as staging and is employed for assisting the doctors in planning the appropriate line of treatment for the patient.

There are many staging systems used in childhood rhabdomyosarcoma. The stages are dependent on the extent and placing of the tumor.

Stage 1
Cancer is present in the eyes, head and could even affect the neck or close to the sex organs and the bladder.

Stage 2
Cancer is detected in merely one location (though excluding the locations in Stage 1), is lesser than 2 inches across or five centimetres in size, and has not yet metastasized to the lymph nodes.

Stage 3
Cancer is detected in merely one location (though excluding those areas found in Stage 1), is more than 2 inches across or five centimetres in size, and might have metastasized to the lymph nodes in close proximity to the cancer.

Stage 4
Cancer has proliferated and is detected in more than one location during the time of detection.

Recurrent
The cancer has relapsed or recurred subsequent to treatment. It could re-occur in the area where it originated or in another location of the body.

Rhabdomyosarcoma Treatment

There are three major forms of treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma in children:

Surgery

Surgery is the prevalent treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma. On the basis of the location of the cancer, the child’s doctor would remove most parts of the cancer along with some sections of adjacent normal tissue. In case the cancer is detected in a difficult to remove location, then surgery could be restricted to removal of merely a tiny section of the cancer via biopsy procedure. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy generally follow a surgical procedure.

The side effects arising due to surgery would vary according to the placement of the tumor and the kind of surgery amongst several factors. Though patients are frequently discomforted in the initial few days subsequent to surgery, this pain could generally be assuaged using medicines. The recuperative time period subsequent to surgery would vary in each case.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy employs high-power x-ray beams for obliterating cancer cells and shrivelling the tumors. Radiation could arise from a machine located outside the tumor –external radiation therapy or from placing radiation-emitting substances via fine plastic tubes in the location where the cancer cells are located –internal radiation therapy. Hyperfractionated radiation therapy employs many small dosages of radiation being administered per day for which clinical trials are on-going.

The most prevalent side effects arising due to radiation therapy are weariness, skin showing reactions in the areas been treated like appearance of rashes or reddishness and diminished appetite. Radiation could additionally cause a depletion of the white blood cell count that safeguard the body from infection. Majority of such side effects are treatable or controllable and in majority of the situations are transitory in nature.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy employs cancer-killing drugs that could be taken either through the oral course in the pill form or could be introduced within the body via a needle intravenously or intramuscularly. Chemotherapy is known as systemic treatment as the drug enters the bloodstream travelling throughout the body and could obliterate cancer cells all through the body.

Chemotherapy drugs usually combat fast-spreading cells present inside the body. Cells that show rapid division comprise of both the cancer cells that are being targeted and normal cells present in the blood, digestive tract and hair follicles. On the basis of what kind of cancer-combatant drugs that a patient is given, the symptoms would arise when there is damage done to the healthy cells along with cancerous cells. In case there is damage done to normal blood cells during chemotherapy, the patient could become more prone to infections, being bruised or bleed and weariness. When the cancer-combatant drugs affect the cells present in the hair roots or the digestive tract, then the patient could experience hair loss, feeling nauseous, puking or oral sores. Though these side effects are not noted in all patients that undergo chemotherapy and the symptoms generally subside in the recuperative phase or subsequent to the treatments being completed. Doctors could suggest taking prescription medicines and other treatments for curbing majority of the symptoms.

Bone Marrow Transplantation

Bone marrow transplantation is being researched in depth for treating recurring rhabdomyosarcoma. At times, rhabdomyosarcoma starts showing resistance to treatment with standard dosages of radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Elevated dosages of chemotherapy could then be employed for treating cancer. Due to the elevated dosages of chemotherapy the bone marrow could get destroyed, hence marrow is extracted from the patient’s bone prior to treatment. The marrow is then put through freezing and high dosages of chemotherapy with optionally radiation therapy are administered for treating cancer. The marrow earlier removed are then defrosted and re-infused via a needle intravenously for reinstating the marrow that faced damage. This form of transplant wherein the bone marrow taken from the patient is re-used is known as autologous transplant.

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