The effect of age at diagnosis on outcome in rhabdomyosarcoma.
BACKGROUND
Survival for rhabdomyosarcoma appears to be more favorable in children and adolescents compared with adults. To determine the significance of age at diagnosis as a prognostic indicator in rhabdomyosarcoma, we performed a retrospective analysis of a combined pediatric and adult rhabdomyosarcoma data base.


METHODS
Pertinent prognostic variables, including age, TNM stage, histopathologic subtype, anatomic site, resectability, radiation to the primary site, and dose intensity of chemotherapy, were compared in a Cox proportional hazards model with mortality as the outcome variable.


RESULTS
Age at diagnosis (P = 0.0001) and local tumor invasiveness (P < 0.0001), distant parenchymal metastases (P < 0.0001), regional lymph node involvement (P = 0.0027), and histopathologic subtype (P = 0.0446) contributed information to the proportional hazards model.


CONCLUSIONS
Age at diagnosis is an independent predictor of outcome in patients with rhabdomyosarcoma along with tumor invasiveness, metastases, regional lymph node involvement, and histopathologic subtype.
La Quaglia
M P
MP
Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021.
Heller
G
G
Ghavimi
F
F
Casper
E S
ES
Vlamis
V
V
Hajdu
S
S
Brennan
M F
MF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005121:Extremities; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D018232:Rhabdomyosarcoma, Alveolar / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D018233:Rhabdomyosarcoma, Embryonal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014565:Urogenital Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy