Soft tissue sarcoma, another name for rhabdomyosarcoma, is an uncommon kind of cancer. It grows in the skeletal muscles of your body. Although it can also affect adults, rhabdomyosarcoma primarily affects adolescents and teenagers. Between 400 and 500 Americans are diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma annually.
Rhabdomyosarcomas come in a variety of forms, some of which are aggressive and more challenging to cure. Rhabdomyosarcoma can relapse (become cancerous) even though treatment often puts the disorder into remission in certain situations.
Varieties of this illness
Rhabdomyosarcomas come in various forms:
Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma: The most prevalent kind of rhabdomyosarcoma is embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Children are more affected than adults. The membrane covering your child’s brain, eye socket, and other areas of their head and neck are among the areas where it usually grows.
Spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma and botryoid rhabdomyosarcoma are two subtypes of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma that can also grow in hollow organs such as a child’s vagina and bladder
Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma: This disorder primarily affects young adults (20–35 years old) and older children. Usually, it starts in your arms, legs, or torso. Aggressive alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma spreads swiftly after it first appears.
Pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma: Adults fifty years of age and above are usually affected. Although it can appear anywhere on your body, it typically affects the legs. It also manifests in areas of your head and neck, as well as in your arms, chest, and abdomen.
Signs and Origins
What signs of rhabdomyosarcoma are present?
Symptoms differ according on where the tumor is located. For instance, your child may experience ear pain or discharge from their ears due to a tumor in their ear. Your eye may expand or protrude out of the socket due to a tumor behind it. By tumor site, other symptoms include:
- Muscle: Tightness, lump, or soreness in the arm or leg.
- Abdominal pain: Constipation, vomiting, or discomfort in the belly.
- Urinary tract and bladder: Hematuria, or blood in the urine, or trouble urinating.
- Nasal cavity: Symptoms of sinus infection or nosebleed (epistaxis).
- Vagina: A lump or mass that is emerging from your child’s vagina.
- Testicles: A rapidly expanding lump or mass surrounding your child’s testicles.
The symptoms of rhabdomyosarcoma can mimic those of less severe diseases. Symptoms such as vomiting, lumps and bumps, or nosebleeds can be caused by a number of medical conditions and are not always indicative of rhabdomyosarcoma.
Having said that, if your child or you have any changes or symptoms that don’t go away or seem to be getting worse, you should consult a doctor.
Why does rhabdomyosarcoma occur?
Tumor-forming rhabdomyosarcoma is caused by the mutation of immature muscle cells into malignant cells that proliferate. Some genetic mutations can result in a kind of rhabdomyosarcoma, such as the mutation that produces the fusion gene PAX/FOX01. An greater chance of getting certain genetic illnesses exists among those with them:
- Li Fraumeni condition.
- Wiedemann-Beckwith syndrome.
- The neurofibromatosis.
- Costello condition.
- Syndrome cardiofasciocutaneous.
Diagnoses and Examinations
How does one diagnose rhabdomyosarcoma?
A medical professional will inquire about your child’s or your own symptoms. In order to find out if anyone in your family has a hereditary condition that raises the chance of rhabdomyosarcoma, they will also inquire about your medical history.
They will perform a physical examination to check for growths or lumps that could be symptoms. To diagnose rhabdomyosarcoma, medical professionals may perform the following tests:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan.
- Scanning with positron emission tomography (PET).
- Bone scan.
- Puncture of the lumbar region.
- Biopsy of the bone marrow.
- Tissue samples are obtained by biopsy.
- Histopathology using immunohistochemistry.
- Tests related to cytology.
