Rhabdomyosarcoma is a type of cancer that develops in soft tissues and mainly affects children and adolescents up to age 18. This type of cancer can occur in almost all parts of the body because it develops where there is skeletal muscle, but it can also appear in certain organs such as the bladder, prostate or vagina.
Typically, rhabdomyosarcoma forms during pregnancy, even during the embryonic phase, in which the cells that give birth to the skeletal muscle become malignant and begin to multiply without control, causing cancer.
- Rhabdomyosarcoma is curable when diagnosis and treatment is performed in the early stages of tumor development.
- With a higher likelihood of recovery when treatment is initiated shortly after the child is born.
There are two main types of rhabdomyosarcoma
In addition, when rhabdomyosarcoma develops in the testicles, it is known as paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma, is more common in people up to 20 years of age and usually causes swelling and pain in the testicle. Know the other causes of testicular swelling
Symptoms of rhabdomyosarcoma vary depending on the size and location of the tumor, which may be:
Rhabdomyosarcoma is diagnosed by blood and urine tests, x-rays, CT scans, magnetic resonance imaging, and tumor biopsy to detect cancer cells and identify the degree of malignancy of the tumor. The prognosis of rhabdomyosarcoma varies from person to person, but the sooner diagnosis is made and treatment begins, the greater the chances of recovery and the lower the chance of the tumor returning into adulthood.
Treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma should be initiated as soon as possible, recommended by the family doctor or pediatrician, for children and adolescents. Surgery to remove the tumor is usually indicated, especially when the disease has not yet reached other organs.
In addition, chemotherapy and radiation therapy may also be used before or after surgery to try to reduce the size of the tumor and eliminate possible metastases in the body.
Treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma, when performed in children or adolescents, can affect growth and development, causing lung problems, delays in bone growth, changes in sexual development, infertility or learning problems.