The overall cost of rhabdomyosarcoma treatment in India is quite low as compared to other developed countries like the USA and the UK. Major advances in the treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma in India have significantly improved outcomes. People must be monitored for the rest of its life for the potential long-term effects of intensive chemotherapy and radiation.

What is Rhabdomyosarcoma?

Rhabdomyosarcoma is one of the cancer types that affect the muscles. It is most prevalent in children and adolescents. The disease begins in mesenchymal cells, which are muscle-forming cells. The cells in rhabdomyosarcoma change and grow out of control, resulting in one or more tumors. Rhabdomyosarcoma can develop anywhere in the body, but it is most commonly found in the following areas:

• The arms and legs
• The head and neck.
• A urinary system such as the bladder
• A reproductive system such as the vagina, uterus, and testes

Rhabdomyosarcoma is rare cancer. In the world, only about 700 people are diagnosed each year. The vast majority of them are children or adolescents. Rhabdomyosarcomas can be classified as follows:

• Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma
• Botryoid Rhabdomyosarcoma
• Spindle Rhabdomyosarcoma
• Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma
• Pleomorphic and Undifferentiated Rhabdomyosarcoma

The type of rhabdomyosarcoma, where it begins, tumor size, and whether cancer has spread all influence the prognosis and treatment decisions. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are commonly used in treatment.

What are the Symptoms of  Rhabdomyosarcoma?

The signs and symptoms of rhabdomyosarcoma are determined by the location of cancer. For an instance,  If the cancer is in the head or neck, signs and symptoms may include, among others:

• Headache
• Eye enlargement or swelling
• Nose, throat, or ear bleeding

If the cancer is in the urinary or reproductive system, the following signs and symptoms may occur:

• Urinary incontinence and blood in the urine
• Bowel Movement Difficulties
• A vaginal or rectum mass or bleeding

Signs and symptoms of cancer in the arms or legs may include, but are not limited to:

• Arm or leg swelling or a lump
• Pain in the affected area, though there is sometimes no pain.

What are the Causes of Rhabdomyosarcoma?

It is unclear what actually causes rhabdomyosarcoma.

Doctors know that rhabdomyosarcoma develops when a cell’s DNA changes. The DNA of a cell contains the instructions that tell it what to do. The changes instruct the cell to multiply quickly and to continue to live when healthy cells would normally die. As a result, a mass (tumor) of abnormal cells forms, which can invade and destroy healthy body tissue. The abnormal cells can separate and spread (metastasize) throughout the body.

Risk Factors –

The following factors may increase the risk of rhabdomyosarcoma:

• Cancer runs in the family. The risk of rhabdomyosarcoma is higher in children who have a blood relative who has had cancer, such as a parent or sibling, especially if cancer occurred when the child was young. 
• However, the majority of children with rhabdomyosarcoma have no family history of cancer.
• Cancer risks are increased by genetic syndromes. 
• Rhabdomyosarcoma has been linked in rare cases to genetic syndromes passed down from parents to children, such as neurofibromatosis 1, Noonan syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, and Costello syndrome.

How is Rhabdomyosarcoma Diagnosed?

Rhabdomyosarcoma is diagnosed typically through a physical exam to better understand the symptoms you or your child are experiencing. Other tests and procedures may be recommended based on the findings. 

Your doctor may recommend one or more imaging tests to investigate symptoms, detect cancer, and identify signs of cancer spread.

Imaging tests may include the following:

• X-ray
• Tomography by computer (CT Scan)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 
• PET (positron emission tomography) 
• Bone scan

A biopsy procedure is used to collect a sample of suspicious cells for testing in the laboratory. Tests can determine whether the cells are cancerous and the type of cancer.

The following biopsy procedures are used to diagnose rhabdomyosarcoma:

Needle Biopsy:  The doctor guides a thin needle through the skin into the tumor. The needle is used to extract small pieces of tumor tissue.

Surgical Biopsy:  The doctor makes an incision in the skin and removes the entire tumor (excisional biopsy) or a portion of the tumor (partial biopsy) (incisional biopsy).