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Intensive chemotherapy as primary treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma of the pelvis
Author(s) -
Rivard Georges,
Ortega Jorge,
Hittle Robert,
Nitschke Ruprecht,
Karon Myron
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197511)36:5<1593::aid-cncr2820360510>3.0.co;2-4
Subject(s) - medicine , rhabdomyosarcoma , chemotherapy , surgery , pelvis , stage (stratigraphy) , quality of life (healthcare) , survival rate , overall survival , sarcoma , paleontology , nursing , pathology , biology
Twenty‐six cases of childhood rhabdomyosarcoma involving the pelvis were treated at Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles between 1950 and 1972. The median survival of 17 patients treated up to 1970 was 6 months. Of a group of 9 patients treated with intensive chemotherapy (ICG) prior to surgery and/or x‐ray therapy, 5 are surviving from 12 to 60 months and have a relative survival rate of 4.5 times that of the mixed therapy group (MTG) (p = 0.01). Deaths have occurred only in patients with Stage IV disease. The use of preoperative chemotherapy with or without x‐ray therapy followed by local surgical excision when necessary can be as effective in prolonging the survival of children with pelvic rhabdomyosarcoma as those obtained with more traditional approaches; this limitation in the use of surgery is likely to preserve the quality of life, should the child live to adulthood.