Neonatal soft tissue sarcomas.
Soft tissue tumors in very young children pose diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Vascular tumors are the most prevalent soft tissue neoplasms in the neonatal period. They are generally benign tumors, but may exhibit aggressive behaviour and cause life-threatening complications. Fibroblastic tumors of intermediate prognosis, more prevalent in very young children (especially infantile fibrosarcoma), are locally aggressive. Since metastases are unusual in this group of tumors, complete surgical resection is generally curative. However, these tumors often present a therapeutic challenge because of the location which makes complete surgical resection difficult. Among the malignant soft tissue tumors, rhabdomyosarcoma is most frequent. It is an aggressive high-grade tumor, with local invasiveness and a propensity to metastasize. These tumors respond to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Neonates with rhabdomyosarcoma seem to have a worse prognosis than in older age groups. This may be a result of inappropriate dosing of chemotherapeutic agents and decreased use of radiation therapy among other factors.
Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Via G. Venezian, 1 20133 Milano MI, Italy. Electronic address: andrea.ferrari@istitutotumori.mi.it.
Andrea
A
Ferrari
Department of Pediatrics, Institut Curie, Paris, France.
Daniel
D
Orbach
Department of Pediatric Oncology, King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan.
Iyad
I
Sultan
Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Via G. Venezian, 1 20133 Milano MI, Italy.
Michela
M
Casanova
Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Division, Padova University, Padova, Italy.
Gianni
G
Bisogno
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011379:Prognosis; D018335:Rhabdoid Tumor / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D019043:Vascular Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy