Wasti AT, Bisogno G, Hladun R, Defachelles AS, Casanova M, Breunis WB, Gatz SA, Schoot RA, Ferrari A, Jenney M, Alaggio R, Davila Fajardo R, Terwisscha van Scheltinga S, Shipley J, Meister MT, R van Rijn R, Anderson J, Sparber-Sauer M, Chisholm JC, Merks JHM.
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common type of soft tissue cancer in children and young people. Over the past few decades, treatments such as chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy have improved survival, especially for children whose cancer is found early and has not spread. However, children with more aggressive forms of RMS or cancer that has spread still have poorer outcomes.
Doctors use several factors to estimate how likely the cancer is to respond to treatment. These include specific genetic changes in the tumour, where the cancer started, whether it has spread to nearby lymph nodes or other parts of the body, the size of the tumour, and the patient's age. These factors help doctors decide how intensive treatment should be.
As researchers learn more about the genetics of RMS, they are improving the way patients are grouped according to risk. This review focuses on children and young people with the highest-risk forms of RMS. These include patients with certain high-risk genetic changes, teenagers and young adults, patients whose cancer has already spread when diagnosed, and those whose cancer has come back or stopped responding to treatment.
The review explains the characteristics of these high-risk patients, describes current standard treatments based on international clinical trials, and discusses promising new methods for diagnosing and treating RMS that may improve outcomes in the future.
Doctors use several factors to estimate how likely the cancer is to respond to treatment. These include specific genetic changes in the tumour, where the cancer started, whether it has spread to nearby lymph nodes or other parts of the body, the size of the tumour, and the patient's age. These factors help doctors decide how intensive treatment should be.
As researchers learn more about the genetics of RMS, they are improving the way patients are grouped according to risk. This review focuses on children and young people with the highest-risk forms of RMS. These include patients with certain high-risk genetic changes, teenagers and young adults, patients whose cancer has already spread when diagnosed, and those whose cancer has come back or stopped responding to treatment.
The review explains the characteristics of these high-risk patients, describes current standard treatments based on international clinical trials, and discusses promising new methods for diagnosing and treating RMS that may improve outcomes in the future.
