Explore the vast range of titles available.

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children and represents a high-grade neoplasm of skeletal myoblast-like cells. Decades of clinical and basic research have gradually improved our understanding of the pathophysiology of RMS and helped to optimize clinical care. The two major subtypes of RMS, originally characterized on the basis of light microscopic features, are driven by fundamentally different molecular mechanisms and pose distinct clinical challenges. Curative therapy depends on control of the primary tumour, which can arise at many distinct anatomical sites, as well as controlling disseminated disease that is known or assumed to be present in every case. Sophisticated risk stratification for children with RMS incorporates various clinical, pathological and molecular features, and that information is used to guide the application of multifaceted therapy. Such therapy has historically included cytotoxic chemotherapy as well as surgery, ionizing radiation or both. This Primer describes our current understanding of RMS epidemiology, disease susceptibility factors, disease mechanisms and elements of clinical care, including diagnostics, risk-based care of newly diagnosed and relapsed disease and the prevention and management of late effects in survivors. We also outline potential opportunities to further translate new biological insights into improved clinical outcomes. Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children. This Primer highlights RMS epidemiology and disease mechanisms and presents the state of the art in clinical care, including diagnostics, risk-based disease management and prevention of late treatment effects.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft-tissue sarcoma in paediatric patients and may arise as a primary orbital neoplasm. Imaging studies show a unilateral solitary orbital lesion. With larger tumours, erosion of the adjacent orbital walls is a common accompanying bony change. We present an unusual case of rhabdomyosarcoma in a preschool girl with proptosis and temporal bossing. Imaging studies showed a homogeneous, well-delineated, extraconal mass of the right orbit with hyperostosis of the adjacent sphenoid bone. After excision of the mass and debulking of the sphenoid bone, histopathology showed embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma with no malignant infiltration of the adjacent bone. This is the first reported case of hyperostosis associated with rhabdomyosarcoma. Periosteal reaction is the proposed underlying mechanism.

Purpose In pediatric bladder/prostate-rhabdomyosarcoma, the rate of bladder preservation after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is high, with an excellent oncological outcome. Information about functional urological long-term outcomes is rare. Methods Data of all patients who had undergone bladder-preserving surgery with or without brachytherapy at our institution between 2009 and 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Detailed urological function was assessed focusing on age-related continence, bladder capacity and urodynamic findings. Results We identified 40 patients, median age at surgery of 27 months (range 9–191), and 32 patients additionally received postoperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy. The median follow-up was 32.5 months (range 6–125). The bladder capacity increased from median 66.7% (21.1–180) of expected bladder capacity related to age 3 months after surgery to 87.4% (58.1–181.8) 9 months after surgery. In the group of aged > 6-year-old, continence was 94% (83% with brachytherapy, 100% without brachytherapy). Erectile function was normal in 92% (90% with brachytherapy, 100% without brachytherapy). Bladder capacity was more than 65% expected bladder capacity related to age in 70% (60% with brachytherapy, 86% without brachytherapy). 65% of all patients need neither anticholinergic drugs nor low-dose antibiotics (63% with brachytherapy, 71% without brachytherapy). Conclusions Bladder preservation with good functional outcome can be achieved in localized bladder/prostate-rhabdomyosarcoma. In selected cases, supportive brachytherapy additionally contributes to an improvement in the oncological outcome with calculable risks for bladder and erectile function. Careful urological aftercare should be a fixed priority after oncological follow-ups.

BackgroundOur aim is to show whether the sentinel node procedure (SNP) is recommendable for pediatric patients with extremity rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). Lymph node metastases are an important prognostic factor in pediatric patients with extremity RMS. Accurate nodal staging is necessary to treat the patient accordingly. An alternative to the current recommended lymph node sampling is the sentinel node procedure (SNP).MethodsA systematic review was performed summarizing all published cases of SNP in addition to 13 cases from our hospital and 8 cases from two other hospitals that have not been published before.ResultsFor all patients (n = 55), at least one SLN was identified, but the SNP technique used was not uniform. The SNP changed the nodal classification of eight patients (17.0%) and had a false-negative rate of 10.5%.ConclusionsThe SNP is recommendable for pediatric patients with extremity RMS. It can change lymph node status and can be used to sample patients in a more targeted way than nodal sampling alone. Therefore, we recommend use of the SNP in addition to clinical and radiological nodal assessment for pediatric patients with extremity RMS.

Background Biliary rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common biliary tumor in children. The management of affected patients contains unique challenges because of the rarity of this tumor entity and its critical location at the porta hepatis, which can make achievement of a radical resection very difficult. Methods In a retrospective chart analysis we analysed children suffering from biliary RMS who were registered in three different CWS trials (CWS-96, CWS-2002P, and SoTiSaR registry). Results Seventeen patients (12 female, 5 male) with a median age of 4.3 years were assessed. The median follow-up was 42.2 months (10.7–202.5). The 5-year overall (OS) and event free survival (EFS) rates were 58% (45–71) and 47% (34–50), respectively. Patients > 10 years of age and those with alveolar histology had the worst prognosis (OS 0%). Patients with botryoid histology had an excellent survival (OS 100%) compared to those with non-botryoid histology (OS 38%, 22–54, p  = 0.047). Microscopic complete tumor resection was achieved in almost all patients who received initial tumor biopsy followed by chemotherapy and delayed surgery. Conclusion Positive predictive factors for survival of children with biliary RMS are age ≤ 10 years and botryoid tumor histology. Primary surgery with intention of tumor resection should be avoided.

Background Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare type of soft-tissue sarcoma that is more frequently observed in children and is less common in adults. Rhabdomyosarcoma can occur in any part of the body, including tissues without skeletal muscles. The main subtypes of rhabdomyosarcoma are embryonal, alveolar, and pleomorphic. Pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare variant typically found in adults over 45 years old and is characterized by early metastasis. Case presentation This article reports a rare case of primary pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in the duodenum of A 67-year-old Iranian male. The patient presented to the hospital with epigastric pain and severe anemia. Abdominal imaging revealed a polypoid mass in the duodenum and antropyloric region of the stomach. Laboratory tests confirmed severe anemia, and an endoscopic biopsy initially misdiagnosed the mass as a poorly differentiated epithelioid gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Conclusion Following surgery and comprehensive immunohistochemical analysis, the final diagnosis of primary pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in the duodenum was confirmed. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges associated with pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in the gastrointestinal tract and underscores the importance of comprehensive immunohistochemical analysis for accurate diagnosis. The article emphasizes the need for further research to better understand the clinical behavior and optimal management of primary gastrointestinal pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma.

Primary hepatic carcinosarcoma is a rare subtype of liver malignancy, with only a small number of cases described in the English literature. We report the case of a 72-year-old man with a history of hepatitis C, who presented with complaints of abdominal pain. The patient's alpha fetoprotein (AFP) level was highly elevated at 7,406 ng/ml. His albumin, total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase levels were within normal ranges. Computer tomographic scans discovered a 12×9×8 cm mass in the left lobe of the liver, extending to the anterior gastric wall. A partial hepatectomy of segments 2 and 3 with en bloc distal gastrectomy and omentectomy, a Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy, and a cholecystectomy were performed. Pathology revealed the mass to be a hepatic carcinosarcoma composed of collision tumor of four malignant components: hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, osteosarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma. One and half month post-surgery, the patient was found to have a mass confirmed by biopsy as hepatocellular carcinoma in the right lobe, nodules in his lung and bone, and his AFP level elevated to 51,027.6 ng/ml. He died after two months during hospice care. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documented case of primary hepatic carcinosarcoma with collision tumor of four malignant entities (hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, osteosarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma). The pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of this disease are discussed.

Introduction Sarcomas with muscle differentiation (for example, rhabdomyosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, and pleomorphic sarcoma) are uncommon in the adult bladder. Case presentation In this case report, we describe a 69-year-old Chinese male patient who presented to the urology outpatient clinic because of intermittent full-course macroscopic hematuria for 10 days. A B ultrasound indicated hypoechoic nodules in the right upper wall of the bladder. Transurethral resection of the bladder tumor and cystoscopic multipoint random biopsy was performed. Postoperative pathological findings showed pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma of the adult bladder. Later, he was transferred to the Department of Medical Oncology of our hospital for further postoperative chemotherapy. The chemotherapy regimen used was intravenous chemotherapy of dacarbazine with doxorubicin. The patient in this case has survived for 12 months postoperatively. Conclusion From this case, our elderly patient with early pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma of the urinary bladder received transurethral resection of bladder tumor and postoperative chemotherapy, and there had been no recurrence 12 months postoperatively. The aforementioned treatment modality may offer a favorable prognosis.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is an infrequent muscular cancer seen in adults. We present a case of ileal intussusception due to pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in a patient diagnosed previously with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung (SCCL). The patient was a 68-year-old man with a history of SCCL. He was admitted to the emergency department for nausea, emesis and obstipation. Surgical investigation of the abdomen revealed an intussusception caused by a tumour located 160cm distal of the ligament of Treitz. Pathological examination showed that tumour was a primary rhabdomyosarcoma of the ileum. This case contributes to the literature by defining an infrequent presentation of rhabdomyosarcoma causing ileal intussusception in an adult patient.