Rhabdomyosarcoma
Description:
Rhabdomyosarcoma – the malignant tumor coming from a skeletal (cross-striped) muscle.
Sarcoma of soft tissues develops when cells of these fabrics begin to share uncontrolledly. They form a tumor. Most often sarcoma of soft tissues happens at adults and teenagers, than at children. Children most often have a rhabdomyosarcoma while this tumor occurs at adults extremely seldom.
At most of children the rhabdomyosarcoma begins to grow in age up to 10 years. And practically all cases of this disease fall on age up to 20 years.
Cells of this tumor are similar to rabdomioblasta – cells of children who were not born yet and who, eventually, have to become cells of muscles. It is possible to tell that cells of a tumor are similar to cells of muscles of yet not born child.
The rhabdomyosarcoma can grow in any part of a body, even where there are no big muscles, but usually it is localized in areas of the head, neck, stomach, extremities and urinogenital system.
The rhabdomyosarcoma more often happens at boys, than at girls. Nationalities of the Caucasus treat group of the increased risk.
About 60-70% of children, with the diagnosis a rhabdomyosarcoma are younger than 10 years, but also at teenage age there is a risk of development of this tumor.
Classification:
Embryonal.
This look usually develops at children in the head, a neck, a bladder or generative organs. The most widespread type of a tumor at children's age.
Alveolar.
This type of a rhabdomyosarcoma usually happens at teenage age and is localized in large muscles of a backbone, hands or legs.
Undifferentiated sarcomas or sarcomas of soft tissues.
These types of sarcoma are not associated with certain cells, but are usually treated as rhabdomyosarcomas.
Rhabdomyosarcoma symptoms:
Symptoms depend on that place where the tumor grows. Sometimes children or parents notice the cone or a swelling which does not pass over time. In the beginning usually it does not hurt, but over time begins to bring concern. Practically all children have the general symptomatology: slackness, loss of appetite and body weights.
The tumor which grows in the fabrics located behind an eye forces it to be stuck out. The tumor growing in a nose can cause bleedings, or cold. At a tumor in a bladder in urine blood can appear. It occurs because the tumor presses on healthy bodies, and does not allow them to work normally.
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Treatment of a rhabdomyosarcoma:
Operation. During operation the surgeon deletes a tumor (or its part if it is impossible to remove all) and fabrics which surround it because in them there can be tumor cells.
Radiation therapy. At this way of treatment the device which directs X-ray precisely to a tumor is used to destroy tumor cells and to reduce a tumor.
Chemotherapy. During chemotherapy very strong medicine which destroys tumor cells are taken, reducing its size.
Transplantation of marrow. If the tumor extended (was metastasized) in other parts of a body, the patient perhaps should undergo high-dose therapy, and then transplantation of marrow.
