Role of surgery in children with rhabdomyosarcoma.
BACKGROUND
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a common soft tissue sarcoma of childhood. Historically, surgery has played a central role in the management of children with this tumor, though with surgery alone survival rates were poor. With current multimodal (surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy) treatment of these patients, survival has dramatically improved and, with this improvement, there has been an evolution of the role of surgery in the management of this condition.


METHODS
The contemporary published literature (English) regarding surgical aspects of pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma was reviewed and evaluated.


RESULTS
Multimodal therapy has improved the survival of children with RMS from 25% in 1970 to greater than 70% today. Surgical procedures for childhood RMS today are less apt to be exenterative or mutilating than those employed thirty years ago.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgery plays a vital role in the diagnosis and treatment of children with RMS. This role has evolved in the context of multimodal therapy and improved survival to an emphasis on less radical procedures with decreased morbidity.
Schalow
Erica L
EL
Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30345, USA.
Broecker
Bruce H
BH
D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006801:Humans; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D015996:Survival Rate