Paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma

Abstract

Even though rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children, accounting for 5-10% of all malignant disease in children under 15 years of age, so few cases are seen in a single institution that only the combined efforts of multicentre prospective trials made it possible fro adequate treatment schedules to be devised. Thank to this cooperation, survival rates have increased dramatically in recent decades; risk factors have been identified and treatment can now be adapted accordingly. This is especially true for the paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma (PTRM), which now has a good prognosis in all stages. The striking similarity of tumor behavior and metastatic pathways to those in germ-cell tumors in young male adults can provide us with more extensive data derived from a much larger group of patients. Recent data are gathered and evaluated in this review. Only in this way will it be possible to eliminate all treatment modalities known to be followed by severe sequelae, thus avoiding exposure of the patients to a therapy that carries more risks than the primary tumor itself.