Risk Stratification Treatment of Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma: South Egypt Cancer Institute Experience

Risk stratification allows tailoring of treatment protocol using, for selected patients, reduced total chemotherapy exposure, including decreases in alkylator therapy and avoidance of agents with recognized risk of late complications (anthracyclines), elimination of irradiation and reduction of radiotherapy dose. Patients and Methods: Twenty-nine newly diagnosed pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma patients attended the pediatric oncology department between January 2008 and May 2011. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to age, stage, group, pathology and site of the tumor. Treatment protocol tailored according to risk group. Results: Twenty-nine newly diagnosed pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma patients were evaluated. Seven patients had low risk, Intermediate risk included 12 patients, and 10 patients had high risk. After three years median follow up, event free survival was 51.7% for all patients however it was 86%, 67% and 10% for low, intermediate and high risk respectively (P = 0.0002). There was statistical difference for survival among different sites, histology, clinical group and stage as risk factors within each risk group, no statistically survival significance of any of these factors within the same risk group. Conclusion: Risk stratification is the best single predictor factor for pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma and allows tailoring of the treatment protocol. For selected patients, reductions in total chemotherapy exposure, elimination of irradiation in selected low risk patients and reduction of radiotherapy dose according to postoperative margin and nodal status is safe.