Rhabdomyosarcoma Treatment
Sarcomas are tumors that occur in the body’s soft tissues. Rhabdomyosarcoma cells, the so-called rhabdomyoblasts, are immature cells from which skeletal muscles of the body are later formed. Even though rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common type of soft tissue tumor in children, in Israel only about 1-2 cases of the disease are diagnosed annually.
Rhabdomyosarcoma occurs in two age categories: among five-year-olds or young children who are more likely to have an embryonic form of the disease, and in young people aged 14-20 years, who most often have an alveolar form of rhabdomyosarcoma. If rhabdomyosarcoma is detected at an early stage, treatable, then the five-year survival rate of the disease is 70%.
The doctor may suspect the presence of the disease during the examination. It must be remembered that the earlier the pathology is discovered, the more favourable the prognosis for the patient. Experts cannot come to a consensus on the causes of the disease. However, they highlight the following risk factors:
- Undergoing radiotherapy;
- Genetic predisposition;
- Exposure to chemicals;
- Presence of chronic inflammation.
Treatment of the disease
Our Tel Aviv Medical Clinic is the best in Israel. We use unique therapies and original drugs. Our office is equipped with new equipment. Our employees annually improve their level of qualification. Surgeons of the department have the necessary skills and knowledge for the treatment of oncology. Our medical staff provides patients with round-the-clock care and control. We set tariffs like a state hospital. This will be a pleasant bonus for our customers.
The following therapies are often used:
- Surgery;
- Chemotherapy;
- Radiation irradiation;
- Targeted therapy.
The latter method is revolutionary and helps improve the lives of patients in the last stage of the disease.
As with most malignant tumors, the prognosis depends on many factors: the stage at which the disease is diagnosed; tumor size and localization; the possibility of its complete or almost complete surgical removal; patient’s age; cytogenetic characteristics of cells.
As with most oncological diseases, five-year remission means recovery, since the likelihood of returning the disease is already low. However, long-term consequences of treatment are possible, primarily radiation therapy used in the treatment of young children: slowing down the growth of irradiated areas of the bones, deterioration of vision or cataracts when irradiating the eye area, scarring of the pulmonary tissue when irradiating the lungs, problems with reproductive function, and so on.