Soft tissue sarcomas of infancy

Abstract

Malignancy occurring during the neonatal period (defined as the first 28 days of life) is over 3 times the incidence of other pediatric age groups. Of all neoplasia occurring in infants, benign and malignant, 25% are soft tissue tumors. Differentiating the benign lesions from the 15% that are malignant can be difficult. This article discusses the epidemiology, differential diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of infants with soft tissue sarcomas. Fibrosarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma are also discussed at length. The authors review other rare tumors as well. The impact on diagnosis of molecular techniques is included when appropriate. A multidisciplinary team approach for treatment of these infants is recommended.