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Chapter One
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Commentary by Michael Stevens and Meriel Jenney
Background
Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) accounts for about 8% of all
childhood malignancies. As a diagnostic category this
represents a rather heterogeneous group of tumor types,
some of which are more frequently found in adult
life and many of which are very rare in childhood.
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the single most common
diagnosis (accounting for approximately 60% of
all STS), and in view of its rarity in adults it is characteristically
viewed as a pediatric malignancy. It is consequently
the tumor which is best defined, and although
there are important differences in behavior between
RMS and some of the non-RMS STS (e.g. in their
metastatic potential, chemosensitivity, etc.), most of the
experience of treatment for non-RMS STS in childhood
is derived either from experience of managing the same
diagnoses in adult practice or is based on the principles
derived from the management of RMS.
Potential difficulties in reviewing
clinical trials in RMS
Attempts to compare ... read full excerpt from Evidence-Based Pediatric Oncology ebook
