Definition

Rhabdomyosarcoma is cancer in muscle cells. It’s most common in children aged 1-5 years old.

There are 3 main types:

• Embryonal—more often in the head, neck, or genital and urinary organs (most common)
• Alveolar—more often in the arms, legs, chest, belly, or genital or anal areas
• Anaplastic—rarely happens in children

Causes

Cancer is when cells in the body split without control or order. These cells go on to form a growth or tumor. The term cancer refers to harmful growths. These growths attack nearby tissues. They also spread to other parts of the body. It’s not clear exactly what causes these problems. It’s likely a mix of genes and the environment.

Cancer Growth Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.

Risk Factors

Your child’s chances for rhabdomyosarcoma are higher if they have:

• Li-Fraumeni syndrome
• Neurofibromatosis type 1
• Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome
• Costello syndrome
• Noonan syndrome

Babies may have an increased risk for embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma if the baby:

• Has high birth weight
• Is larger than expected

Symptoms

In the early stages, the cancer is small and doesn't cause symptoms. A growing tumor may start to push on nearby structures. Problems depend on where the tumor is such as:

• Head—stuffy nose or sinuses that drain, facial paralysis, or a hoarse voice
• Eye—may make the eyes stick out or appear larger, and affect eye sight
• Lung—may cause coughing and breathing problems
• Bladder or bowel—may cause belly pain, vomiting, constipation, or problems passing urine
• Uterus—may cause bleeding or discharge from the vagina, and pain in the pelvis or lower part of the belly

Your child may also feel tired or ill, and have weight loss.

Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about your child’s symptoms and health history. Your child may also have:

• A physical exam
• Blood tests
• Urine tests
• Tests on their genes
• Imaging tests such as:
  • CT scan
  • MRI scan
  • PET scan
• Biopsy —a sample of tissue is tested in a lab

The exam and your child's test results will help find out the stage of cancer. Staging guides a treatment plan. Rhabdomyosarcoma is staged from 0-4. Stage 0 is a very localized cancer. Stage 4 is a spread to other parts of the body.

Treatment

Treatment depends on the stage. More than one method is used. Options include:

Prevention

There is no way to prevent rhabdomyosarcoma since the cause is unknown.