Rhabdomyosarcoma
Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare cancer seen in children than in adults. About two thirds of cases, rhabdomyosarcoma occurs in children under 10 years. It is a soft tissue tumor that usually occurs as one of the following areas: head and neck (35 to 40% of cases), urinary tract and genital organs (25% of cases) and arms and legs (10% cases). It may also appear on the trunk. Doctors classified the cancer based on how the cells look under a microscope, most are embryonic (60% of cases) or alveolar (20% of cases):
- Embryonic tumors tend to grow back of the throat, in the ear canal or in the urinary tract or respiratory disease. In general, this is a limited and localized cancer that responds well to treatment and in rare cases it spreads (metastasizes).
- Alveolar: tumors tend to be aggressive and difficult to treat. They often start in the arms and legs, especially in older children and adolescents.
There are two varieties known as anaplastic rhabdomyosarcoma and undifferentiated sarcoma, but are very rare.
Rhabdomyosarcoma is often associated with specific genetic abnormalities. Certain people may be prone to developing this cancer, because they have greater susceptibility to developing various cancers.
In the U.S., rhabdomyosarcoma occurs in about 5 in every 1 million children per year. Children are more likely to develop rhabdomyosarcoma if they have the Li-Fraumeni syndrome or neurofibromatosis (type I) or have a family member who has been diagnosed with breast cancer or cancer of the adrenal glands in its early stage.
Rhabdomyosarcoma is most common in children whose parents have used recreational drugs, especially marijuana and cocaine and smoking parents, however, this relationship still requires further study. Also, have also been linked cases of children whose mothers were exposed to several doses of antibiotics during pregnancy with a high incidence of rhabdomyosarcoma.