Long-term results in childhood rhabdomyosarcoma: a retrospective study in Italy

This paper reviews a series of 70 consecutive children with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) diagnosed during 1971-1978 and treated in five Italian institutions. Thirteen were classified as group I, 12 as group II, 37 as group III, and 8 as group IV according to the Intergroup RMS Study staging system. Survival was influenced by tumor extension at diagnosis, primary site, and response to therapy. The 5-year-survival rate was 92% for group I patients, 67% for group II, 44% for group III, and 0% for group IV. Thirty-four children had all therapy stopped after 12-32 months of complete remission, 7 had late recurrences, and 3 died from disease. Musculoskeletal sequelae were diagnosed in 11 children, short stature in 3, corneal opacity in 2, and cardiac failure in 1.