title: Outcome of pediatric parameningeal rhabdomyosarcoma. The Children Cancer Hospital, Egypt, experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  PM RMS represents a diagnostic and therapeutic problem as it is less visible than other superficial head and neck sites, and has tendency to local and intracranial extension.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this work is to study the treatment outcome, overall survival (OS) and event free survival (EFS) of pediatric PM RMS patients diagnosed and treated at the Children Cancer Hospital-Egypt [CCHE-57357] during a 4 year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of charts of newly diagnosed pediatric PM RMS patients diagnosed and treated in CCHE during the period between July 2007 and the end of June 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-two pediatric patients with PM RMS with age ranging from 3 months to 17.7 years (median 6.9 years) were studied. The follow up period ranged from 4 to 55 months with a median of 24.8 months. Twenty-one patients [50%] were stage III, while 11 patients [26.1%] were stage IV. The 3-year overall survival (OS) was 58.4 ± 8.9%. OS was 65.9 ± 10% for non metastatic tumors while it was 35.8 ± 16.2% for the metastatic ones (p=0.039). The 3-year event-free survival (EFS) was 48 ± 8.6% for the whole group. The non-metastatic and metastatic patients had 3-year EFS of 56.5 ± 9.7% and 24.9 ± 14.9% respectively. This difference was not statistically significant (p=0.127).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PM RMS remains a diagnostic and therapeutic problem. Late presentation and advanced local disease compromise treatment options and decrease OS and EFS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Children Cancer Hospital, CCHE-57357, Egypt. hanyrahman@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Hany Abdel
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sedky
authors.forename: Inas
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mohsen
authors.forename: Hala
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taha
authors.forename: Iman
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Loaye
authors.forename: Mohamed S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Zaghloul
authors.forename: Madiha El
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Wakeel
authors.forename: Rania M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Labib
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome