Rhabdomyosarcoma

Treatment

Rhabdomyosarcoma can be treated with chemotherapy, surgery and/or radiation. Often a combination of these treatments offers the best chance of success. Rhabdomyosarcoma treatment at Mayo Clinic has two main goals: (1) to cure the cancer and (2) to save as much function of the affected area as possible.

Surgery

Surgeons will remove the tumor if safe to do so. Chemotherapy and radiation may be given before or after surgery to kill any cancer cells. Surgeons will remove the tumor if removal does not cause disability or disfigurement.

Chemotherapy

A combination of cancer-fighting drugs attacks rhabdomyosarcoma cells wherever they may be in the body. If a patient receives chemotherapy and surgery, the timing of each is closely coordinated.

Radiation

Radiation oncologists apply high-energy external beam radiation to tissues containing rhabdomyosarcoma cells. Radiation may be used to supplement surgery, before or afterward, or for cases when the tumor cannot be safely removed. Depending upon the tumor's size, shape and location, treatment involves the use of 3-D conformal radiation therapy or intensity-modulated radiation therapy, both highly precise technologies.

The cure rate for rhabdomyosarcoma depends on many factors, including:

• Age of the patient
• Exact type of tumor
• Tumor's location in the body
• The size of the tumor at diagnosis
• Whether the cancer has spread (metastasized)