Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma in adults.

A series of 54 cases of embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas in adults were studied. The neoplasms were classified according to anatomic site, size, histologic pattern, age, and sex of the patients and modality of treatment. The major anatomic sites were the extremities (21 cases), genitourinary organs (13 cases) and the trunk (nine cases). The overall five-year survival rate was 21% but 79% of the patients were dead at an average time of 17 months after the primary diagnosis was made. On the other hand, 80% of the patients with Stage II disease (tumor size less than 5 cm) survived five years. In general, patients who were treated with surgery only or surgery and radiation or chemotherapy did much better than patients treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy only. When the rate of recurrences, metastasis and time of death due to spread of neoplasm was compared in cases diagnosed between 1950-1969 and 1970-1978, patients in the last nine years had fewer recurrences, less metastases and better survival than those who had their neoplasm diagnosed and treated between 1950 and 1969.