BACKGROUND: The combined modalities of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy have greatly improved the survival rate in childhood paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma, but the incidence of complications and late side effects is a cause for concern. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 18 patients treated for paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital between 1962 and 1989. Patients with Group I disease were treated with orchiectomy, retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, and multi-agent chemotherapy; more advanced cases also received radiation therapy with concurrent chemotherapy. RESULTS: Sequelae included esophageal and common bile duct stricture, inguinal nerve entrapment syndrome, and small bowel obstruction. Short stature was found in all children whose spines were irradiated via para-aortic fields (34-37 Gy) prior to puberty. Two of 18 patients died from treatment complications and one from progressive disease. CONCLUSIONS: Multimodality treatment offers an excellent prognosis in paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma, but is associated with significant morbidity and mortality rates. A discussion of therapy components and their application to disease stages suggests possible approaches to optimizing treatment for this therapy-sensitive malignancy.
BACKGROUND: The combined modalities of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy have greatly improved the survival rate in childhood paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma, but the incidence of complications and late side effects is a cause for concern. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 18 patients treated for paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital between 1962 and 1989. Patients with Group I disease were treated with orchiectomy, retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, and multi-agent chemotherapy; more advanced cases also received radiation therapy with concurrent chemotherapy. RESULTS: Sequelae included esophageal and common bile duct stricture, inguinal nerve entrapment syndrome, and small bowel obstruction. Short stature was found in all children whose spines were irradiated via para-aortic fields (34-37 Gy) prior to puberty. Two of 18 patients died from treatment complications and one from progressive disease. CONCLUSIONS: Multimodality treatment offers an excellent prognosis in paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma, but is associated with significant morbidity and mortality rates. A discussion of therapy components and their application to disease stages suggests possible approaches to optimizing treatment for this therapy-sensitive malignancy.
Authors: Neyssa Marina; Melissa M Hudson; Kendra E Jones; Daniel A Mulrooney; Raffi Avedian; Sarah S Donaldson; Rita Popat; Dee W West; Paul Fisher; Wendy Leisenring; Marilyn Stovall; Leslie L Robison; Kirsten K Ness Journal: Arch Phys Med Rehabil Date: 2013-02-01 Impact factor: 3.966