Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma of the Cervix in Young Women

Cervical rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is an extremely rare disease, and there is no precise criteria related to its treatment. Our aim was to describe the clinical and pathological features of cervical RMS.

Clinicopathological data of cases with cervical RMS were retrieved from the computerized database of Etlik Zubeyde Hanim Women's Health and Research Hospital. Five patients with the diagnosis of cervical RMS who underwent surgical treatment and had adjuvant chemotherapy between 2003 and 2015 were included in the study.

Mean age of patients at the time of diagnosis was 15.8 ± 2 years. Abnormal vaginal bleeding and mass were the most common complaints. All patients had embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (E-RMS) and Group I disease according to the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study Group clinical classification system. Cone biopsy and polypectomy were performed in four patients, and radical abdominal hysterectomy with pelvic-paraaortic lymphadenectomy was performed in one patient. Chemotherapy consisting vincristine, dactinomycin, and cyclophosphamide was given as an adjuvant therapy. Estimated 5-year overall survival and disease-free survival were 40% and 37.5%, respectively.

We report a small series of patients with cervical E-RMS who were treated with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Although all patients in the present study had good prognostic factors, survival was not as good as indicated in the literature. Diminished survival of our patient group may be associated with underlying molecular and pathophysiologic differences other than stage and histological subtype that have not been discovered yet.