Adult rhabdomyosarcoma: Clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) in adults is a rare malignancy. The objective of our study was to determine presentation, treatment, patterns of failure, and outcome in this disease.A retrospective analysis of 25 patients of adult (>16 years) RMS who were treated at our institute from 2000 to 2009 was carried out. Tumors were classified according to the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study (IRS) staging. All patients were treated with multimodality treatment except for three patients who received chemotherapy as the only modality.The median age was 19 years (range, 16-68 years). The most common site was head and neck (52%) followed by extremities (24%), genitourinary (20%), and retroperitoneal RMS (4%). Three out of 25 patients presented with distant metastasis. With a median follow-up of 45 months, the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 45%. The 5-year local control (LC) rate was 53%. IRS grouping and complete response after primary therapy were predictors of a better survival.RMS in adults have poor prognosis as compared to childhood RMS. Adult RMS should therefore be treated aggressively with multidisciplinary approach comprising of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy to achieve cure and prolonged survival.