Outcome after surgical resection of recurrent rhabdomyosarcoma.
OBJECTIVE
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children. Patients with localized disease have a cure rate of 50% to 90%; however, there has been little evidence that aggressive surgical resection for recurrent disease is of benefit. We reviewed our experience with aggressive surgical resection for recurrent RMS.


METHODS
A retrospective review of the records for patients with RMS was performed. Data extracted included tumor site, histology, initial therapy, time to recurrence, treatment, and outcomes.


RESULTS
From 1991 to 2002, 122 patients with RMS (3 months-18 years) were treated at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Of 32 patients with recurrent RMS, 19 had surgical resection and 13 had biopsy only or no resection. The common primary sites included extremity (12), genitourinary nonbladder/prostate (7), and retroperitoneal/trunk (7). In the resection group, 33 operations were performed with 5 (15%) major complications and no deaths. Seventeen (52%) of these procedures (7 pelvic, 5 thoracic, 3 amputations, and 2 cranial) were classified as aggressive. After a mean follow-up period of 4.9 years, 7 patients (37%) had no evidence of disease, 8 (42%) died, and 4 were lost to follow-up. There was no correlation between survival and the type of resection. In the no-resection group only, 1 (8%) of 13 patients survived.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite morbidity, aggressive surgical resection is warranted to improve survival in patients with recurrent RMS.
Department of Surgery, The Children's Cancer Hospital at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. andrea.hayes-jordan@uth.tmc.edu
Andrea
A
Hayes-Jordan
Debra K
DK
Doherty
Sonlee D
SD
West
R Beverly
RB
Raney
Martin L
ML
Blakely
Charles S
CS
Cox
Richard J
RJ
Andrassy
Kevin P
KP
Lally
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000601:surgery*; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome