The role of combined chemotherapy in the treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma in children

Abstract

Current therapy of rhabdomyosarcoma involves the use of several modalities of treatment: surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. The present controlled study was designed to evaluate the role of chemotherapy in the control of occult residual disease following surgery and radiotherapy. The results of this study support the adjunctive use of combined chemotherapy with actinomycin D and vincristine sulfate for 1 year in preventing growth of metastatic or recurrent disease when children are made grossly tumor free by surgery and radiotherapy. Twenty-four (85.7%) of 28 children in this category are disease free for periods greater than 2 years after initial treatment and a year of chemotherapy. Initial staging and the degree to which a patient can be made tumor free with primary definitive therapy are the most significant variables in prognosis. Vinblastine was not useful in the treatment of metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma.