Rabdomiosarcoma, muscle cancer in children: causes, symptoms, and cures

Cancer does not only affect adults, but also children. One type of cancer that most often attacks children under five is muscle cancer, aka rabdomiosarcoma.

It is not easy to detect cancer in children because most of the symptoms are vague. So, you need to be more aware of this. So, what is muscle cancer like? What are the causes and treatment? You can find all the answers in the following reviews.

What is rabdomiosarcoma?

Rabdomiosarcoma is a growth of malignant (cancerous) tumor cells in the soft tissues of the body, such as muscles and connective tissue (tendons or tendons). In rabdiosarcoma, the cancer cells look similar to immature muscle cells. This muscle cancer is a rare type of cancer.

In the womb, muscle cells called rabdiomyoblasts begin to develop to form muscle skeletons at the seventh week of gestation. When these muscle cells grow abnormally fast and become malignant, they turn into rabdomiosarcoma cancer cells.

Because the development of the rabdiomyoblast muscle cells occurs during the embryo period, muscle cancer is more common in children. Even so, it is possible that adults can also experience it. Unfortunately, this disease tends to be more difficult to treat in adults.

Rabdomiosarcoma most often forms on the muscles in the following parts of the body:

Head and neck (for example near the eyes, in the sinuses of the nose or throat, or near the cervical spine)
Urinary and reproductive organs (bladder, prostate gland, or female organs)
Hands and feet
Chest and stomach

Types of muscle cancer that need to be watched out for

Muscle cancer is of two main types, the most common of which are:

Embryonal rabdomiosarcoma. Embryonal rabdomiosarcoma usually affects children under five years of age. This condition tends to occur in the head and neck area, bladder, vagina, or around the prostate and testicles.
Alveolar rabdomiosarcoma. In contrast to embional rabdomiosarcoma, this type of muscle cancer is more likely to occur in children and older adolescents. Aveolar rabdomiosarcoma most commonly affects the large muscles of the chest, abdomen, arms and neck. This type of muscle cancer tends to grow faster than embryonal rabdomiosarcoma and thus requires more intensive care.
Ranaplastic abdomiosarcoma, a type that is very rare and susceptible to attacking adults.

Signs and symptoms of muscle cancer

Muscle cancer may or may not be causing pain. Symptoms also vary depending on the location of the cancer cell growth.

Rabdomiosarcoma tumors in the nose or throat can cause nosebleeds, bleeding, difficulty swallowing, or nervous system problems if they reach the brain
A tumor around the eye causes bulging eyes, vision problems, swelling around the eye, or eye pain
Tumors in the ear cause pain, swelling, and hearing loss
Bladder and vaginal tumors cause problems urinating or defecating and problems with urinary control (urinary incontinence).

Causes and risk factors for muscle cancer

As with other types of cancer, the exact cause of muscle cancer is not clear. However, rabdiosarcoma is more common in children. From this age group, it can be known what are the risk factors that can make a child prone to muscle cancer. That is:

Children under 10 years of age, but can also occur in adolescents and adults.
It is more common in males than females.
Children with birth defects.
Hereditary genetic mutations.
Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that predisposes a person to developing cancer in his lifetime.
Neurofibromatosis, a condition that causes tumors to grow on nerve tissue.
Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, a congenital disorder that causes too many cell growths in the body.
Costello syndrome and Noonan syndrome, conditions that cause deformities, developmental delays, and other problems.

Muscle cancer treatment

Treatment of muscle cancer is based on the location and type of rabdomiosarcoma itself. Treatment options for muscle cancer include chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy. In general, surgery and radiation therapy are used to treat tumors that are in their primary location. While chemotherapy is used to treat cancer that has spread to all parts of the body. Therefore, consult your doctor for proper treatment according to the type of muscle cancer you are experiencing.