Options For Treating Rhabdomyosarcoma

A sarcoma is one of many cancers that develop from connective tissues. Rhabdomyosarcoma is made of cancerous cells that would normally become voluntary muscle cells. Rhabdomyoblasts are cells, which can become cancerous, that begin forming before birth and later develop into voluntary muscles. Since rhabdomyosarcoma develops from cells present early in development, this cancer usually affects children. There have been cases reported in adults, though. This type of cancer is capable of starting in almost any part of the body, including areas of the body that do not typically have voluntary muscles.

There are two types of rhabdomyosarcoma: embryonal and alveolar. Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma tends to affect children aged five years old or younger. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma can affect every age group. There are quite a few treatments available.

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy, or radiation therapy, is a common cancer treatment that uses high-energy, focused waves of light to damage the cancer cells. Typically, treatment will involve protons, electron beams, gamma rays, or x-rays. The goal of radiation therapy is to break up the DNA inside the affected cells, which kills cancer cells and prevents them from dividing. Normal cells can also sometimes be affected by radiation therapy if they're near the cancer site, but they tend to recover and continue functioning normally after treatment is over. This treatment is unique due to its highly focused approach. One specific part of the body is irradiated.

Rather than having full-body effects, this treatment affects only a small portion of the body, and is often recommended for individuals with cancers that have not spread to the rest of the body, but for whom an operation is not a viable option. Sometimes surgery is impossible or would cause too many impairments to bodily function to do. Certain radiotherapy treatments are swallowed or injected through the vein.

Surgery

In many cases, surgery will be recommended to treat cases of childhood rhabdomyosarcoma. Wide local excision is a common operation for this cancer. With this procedure, the tumor will be removed along with some of the surrounding healthy tissue, which helps ensure no cancer cells are left behind. The lymph nodes are also removed during this procedure. After an operation, the patient will typically be monitored for signs of recurrence. It's possible more than one operation will be necessary to clear cancer entirely.

The type of operation done depends on a variety of factors including the location of the tumor, effect on the child's appearance, effect on the child's bodily functions, and the tumor's response to previous treatments. Operations will sometimes be done after the tumor has been shrunk through radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a procedure that attacks cancer through the use of medications. The medication either stops the cancer cells from dividing or kills them entirely. Chemotherapy can be taken orally or injected into a muscle or vein, causing the medication to enter the patient's bloodstream and attack cancer cells through the entire body. It differs from radiation therapy in that it fights cancer in the entire body rather than one localized area. There is the possibility of regional chemotherapy treatments by having the medication placed directly into an affected organ, cavity, or spinal fluid.

It's common for these treatments to be done before an operation to ensure as much healthy tissue is saved as possible. Regardless of the circumstances, it's highly recommended that every child with rhabdomyosarcoma receive system-wide chemotherapy to help keep cancer from recurring. The exact medication, number of treatments, and dosage will vary depending on the particular case.

Stem Cell Transplant

One treatment option sometimes utilized with tough childhood cancers is a stem cell transplant. This operation, also called a bone marrow transplant, allows for much higher doses of chemotherapy to be used than would otherwise be possible. If doses are too high, they'll cause damage to the bone marrow, resulting in potentially fatal blood cell shortages.

With a bone marrow transplant, some of the stem cells that form blood are removed from the patient's body and saved. After the high dosage of chemotherapy, these cells are reintroduced to the body, and when the cells travel back to the bone marrow, the normal marrow can regrow. Bone marrow transplants have many side effects, though, and because of this, doctors don't usually recommend this treatment option unless necessary.

Symptom Management

Rhabdomyosarcoma causes different symptoms throughout the body, and the exact symptoms vary from case to case. In addition to attacking the cancer cells themselves, a treatment plan needs to include symptom management. With orbital rhabdomyosarcoma, children might have a swollen or bulging eye. Unexplained fevers will sometimes present before a child receives a diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma.

Some patients experience a depressed appetite. It's not common for easy bruising and fatigue to be part of this type of cancer, but this changes if the cancer moves to the bone marrow. It's vitally important that children have their symptoms managed with a treatment plan. The exact methods of treatment may vary. Many medical professionals should be communicating about the best options for the child's needs.