The influence of extensive bone erosion on local control in non-orbital rhabdomyosarcoma of the head and neck.
To investigate a recent report suggesting extensive bone erosion (EBE) as an important prognostic factor in head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma, a retrospective review was performed of 32 patients with gross residual and/or metastatic non-orbital head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma treated between the years 1971-1987. Treatment consisted of surgery, radiation therapy (median primary dose, 5000 cGy) and combination chemotherapy according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) T2 and T6 protocols. The MSKCC staging system was used: Stage II, 23 patients; Stage III, 6 patients; and Stage IV, 3 patients. With a median follow-up of 48 months (range 17 months to 13 years), the overall survival and local control rates were 72% (23/32) and 75% (24/32), respectively. Local control was achieved in 11/11 patients without extensive bone erosion (Stages II, 9/9; III, 1/1; IV, 1/1) as compared to 13/21 patients (Stages II, 10/14; III, 2/5; IV, 1/2) with extensive bone erosion (p = 0.02). Our data appear to support the recently reported finding that extensive bone erosion is an important predictor of local failure.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, N.Y. 10021.
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Mandell
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Massey
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Ghavimi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009918:Orbital Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*