Rhabdomyosarcoma

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare type of cancer known as soft tissue sarcoma. It develops in your skeletal muscles. Rhabdomyosarcoma mostly affects children and teenagers but can affect adults as well. Each year, between 400 and 500 people in the U.S. receive a diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma.

There are different types of rhabdomyosarcomas, some of which are aggressive and more difficult to treat. In some cases, treatment often puts the condition into remission, but rhabdomyosarcoma can come back (cancer recurrence).

Types of this condition

There are several types of rhabdomyosarcomas:

• Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma: This is the most common type of rhabdomyosarcoma. It affects more children than adults. It typically develops in the head and neck, including the membrane that covers your child’s brain, eye socket and other parts of their head and neck. Subtypes of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma may also develop in hollow organs like your child’s bladder and vagina (botryoid rhabdomyosarcoma) or in the area around your child’s testicles (spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma).
• Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma: This condition affects older children, teenagers and young adults between the ages of 20 and 35. It typically develops in your arms, legs or trunk (torso). Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is aggressive, meaning it spreads quickly soon after it develops.
• Pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma: This type typically affects adults ages 50 and older. It can develop anywhere in your body but mostly affects your legs. It also appears in your arms, chest, belly (abdomen), and parts of your head and neck.