Peer-reviewed article
Long-term survival outcomes of female genital tract rhabdomyosarcoma in children, adolescents and young adults at a national rare disease diagnosis and treatment center in China.
Zheng J, Yang J, Jin X, Zhang K, Cao D et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This is a clinical case series describing survival outcomes for 26 children and young adults with a rare cancer (rhabdomyosarcoma) of the female genital tract treated at a hospital in China between 1996 and 2023. The study documents tumor locations, treatment approaches, and long-term survival, finding that early-stage cases had better outcomes while advanced stage and non-standard treatment were associated with higher recurrence and mortality rates. This is a medical oncology study focused on cancer prognosis rather than child well-being more broadly.
Key points
- 26 patients under age 25 with female genital tract rhabdomyosarcoma were included, with mean age 8.1 years
- Disease-specific mortality rate was 26.92% (7 out of 26 patients died)
- Nine patients (34.62%) experienced disease recurrence with median progression-free survival of 15.3 months
- Most recurrent cases (66.7%) resulted in death; early-stage cases had relatively good prognosis
- Advanced stage and non-standard primary treatment were associated with increased recurrence risk
Limitations
This is a retrospective case series from a single medical center with a small sample size (n=26) and primarily documents clinical outcomes rather than broader child well-being indicators. The study does not assess quality of life, psychosocial impacts, or long-term developmental outcomes beyond survival.
Abstract
Objective Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a rare soft-tissue sarcoma mainly affecting children and adolescents. The genitourinary tract is the second common site involved by RMS. We report the therapeutic effects and long-term survival outcomes of female genital tract RMS. Methods Patients diagnosed with female genital RMS and younger than 25 years old from Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 1996 and December 2023 were identified. Clinical features, treatment modalities, and survival outcomes were documented. Patient prognosis evaluation was re-evaluated according to the Children's Oncology Group (COG) risk stratification system. Results A total of 26 patients were included, with a mean age of 8.1 years. The median follow-up duration was 59.3 months. Primary tumor sites were distributed as follows: vagina (n=12), cervix (n=8), vulva (n=2), pelvic region (n=2), uterus (n=1), and subcutaneous perineum (n=1). The COG Risk Stratification System classified 15 patients as low-risk subset 1, 8 as low-risk subset 2, 2 as intermediate-risk, and 1 as high-risk. Nine patients (34.62%) experienced disease recurrence with a median progression free survival of 15.3 months. The disease-specific mortality rate was 26.92% (7/26). Six patients (66.7% of recurrent cases) succumbed to the disease following recurrence, while one stage 4 patient died during initial treatment. Conclusion Patients diagnosed as RMS in female genital tract in early stage can have relatively good prognosis. Advanced stage and nonstandard primary treatment were related with increased risk of recurrence. Patients with disease recurrence tend to have poor prognoses and higher mortality rates.