[Treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma at the National Cancer Center Hospital]

Abstract

Seventy-nine patients with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) received treatment at the National Cancer Center Hospital between 1962 and 1985. The patients ranged in age from 4 months to 74 years with a median age of 6 years. Forty-six patients were male and 33 were female. The primary tumor site of RMS was the same as in the previous report. The head and neck region was the most frequent site (40.5%), followed by the extremities (34.1%), genitourinary region (15.2%), trunk (5.1%) and retroperitoneum (5.1%). Histologic types were embryonal RMS in 45 patients, alveolar RMS in 23 patients, pleomorphic RMS in 8 patients and unclassified RMS in 3 patients. As of October 1985, 14 of the 79 patients were still alive. Between 1962 and 1971, 38 patients were not treated by any protocol. After 1972, 41 patients received treatment using a 3 stage-related, multiple-modality program. In the first protocol, chemotherapy consisted of Vincristine, Cyclophosphamide, and Actinomycin-D, and 1 of 18 patients have survived more than 5 years. The cumulative 5-year survival rate of the first protocol was 11.1%. In the second treatment program, which involved Adriamycin in addition to the 3 drugs cited above, 4 of 23 patients have survived more than 5 years. The cumulative 5-year survival rate, 33.2%, was very improved.