Rhabdomyosarcoma Diagnosis
After reviewing your child’s symptoms, the doctor will check the child. Depending on the results of this examination, your doctor may ask a regular X-ray as the first test. They may also be necessary computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). If a tumor is detected in one of these tests, we remove a small piece of tissue and examined in a laboratory (a biopsy).
If laboratory tests show signs of cancerous (malignant), your doctor will refer you to a medical center that has the facilities, personnel and expertise to treat childhood cancer. There your child will be subjected to further tests, which are likely to include chest radiography, CT of the chest, a radionuclide bone scan, bone marrow biopsy and other tests to detect whether the cancer has spread to the lungs, bones or other region.
Rhabdomyosarcomas are rare and can cause symptoms similar to other more common conditions such as bladder infections, sinusitis or injury from sports. Therefore, your doctor may suspect that is not cancer in the first consultation. In fact, many times, the correct diagnosis is made several months later.