Recurrent rhabdomyosarcoma after 25 years: a possible association with estrogen and progestogen therapy.
OBJECTIVE
We describe a patient with a late recurrence of rhabdomyosarcoma and review the relevant literature.


METHODS
Recurrent rhabdomyosarcoma occurred in a young woman 25 years after initial presentation, with the onset of symptoms 3 months after commencing hormonal replacement therapy with estrogen and progestogen. The primary and recurrent tumors were immunocytochemically identical. The primary tumor was steroid receptor negative but the recurrent tumor was estrogen and progesterone receptor positive.


CONCLUSIONS
Estrogen priming can stimulate synthesis of progesterone receptors which may modulate mitotic activity, which suggests a functional role for receptor positive cells in modulating cell growth when sex hormone primed, with a possible tumor induction role of sex hormone replacement therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
The late tumor recurrence may have been induced by estrogen and progestogen treatment.
Zacharin
M
M
Department of Endocrinology, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Waters
K
K
Chow
C W
CW
Crock
P
P
McKelvie
P
P
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000568:Amenorrhea; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D009839:Oligomenorrhea; D011372:Progestins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis
D011372:Progestins; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D014746:Vimentin