TY - JOUR
T1 - Presence of well-differentiated rhabdomyoblasts at the end of therapy for pelvic rhabdomyosarcoma
T2 - Implications for the outcome
AU - Ortega, Jorge A.
AU - Rowland, Jon
AU - Monforte, Hector
AU - Malogolowkin, Marcio
AU - Triche, Timothy
PY - 2000/1/1
Y1 - 2000/1/1
N2 - The presence of well-differentiated rhabdomyoblasts at the end of therapy for rhabdomyosarcoma has been noted. This study was undertaken to investigate the therapeutic implications of the presence of well-differentiated rhabdomyoblasts at the end of therapy for pelvic rhabdomyosarcoma. Six patients with pelvic rhabdomyosarcoma (bladder-prostate, 4; vulvovaginal, 2) with disease diagnosed between the years 1974 and 1992 were sequentially investigated by cystoscopic or vaginoscopic examination and biopsy during and after completing therapy. All six patients received treatment according to prevailing therapeutic protocols. Biopsy material from all six patients at the end of therapy documented the presence of well-differentiated rhabdomyoblasts. Repeated biopsies demonstrated the presence of rhabdomyoblasts; however, they appeared to decrease in number with time. Mitotic activity was not observed in the biopsy materials obtained. All six patients are alive without evidence of disease from 37 to 233 months after therapy ended. The presence of well-differentiated rhabdomyoblasts at the end of therapy for pelvic rhabdomyosarcoma is a common finding. The biologic nature of these well-differentiated rhabdomyoblasts is not completely known, but they do not appear to connote the persistent presence of malignant disease and are not an indication for the continuation of therapy.
AB - The presence of well-differentiated rhabdomyoblasts at the end of therapy for rhabdomyosarcoma has been noted. This study was undertaken to investigate the therapeutic implications of the presence of well-differentiated rhabdomyoblasts at the end of therapy for pelvic rhabdomyosarcoma. Six patients with pelvic rhabdomyosarcoma (bladder-prostate, 4; vulvovaginal, 2) with disease diagnosed between the years 1974 and 1992 were sequentially investigated by cystoscopic or vaginoscopic examination and biopsy during and after completing therapy. All six patients received treatment according to prevailing therapeutic protocols. Biopsy material from all six patients at the end of therapy documented the presence of well-differentiated rhabdomyoblasts. Repeated biopsies demonstrated the presence of rhabdomyoblasts; however, they appeared to decrease in number with time. Mitotic activity was not observed in the biopsy materials obtained. All six patients are alive without evidence of disease from 37 to 233 months after therapy ended. The presence of well-differentiated rhabdomyoblasts at the end of therapy for pelvic rhabdomyosarcoma is a common finding. The biologic nature of these well-differentiated rhabdomyoblasts is not completely known, but they do not appear to connote the persistent presence of malignant disease and are not an indication for the continuation of therapy.
KW - Differentiated rhabdomyoblasts
KW - End of therapy
KW - Rhabdomyosarcoma
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U2 - 10.1097/00043426-200003000-00005
DO - 10.1097/00043426-200003000-00005
M3 - Article
C2 - 10779022
AN - SCOPUS:0034458293
VL - 22
SP - 106
EP - 111
JO - Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
JF - Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
SN - 1077-4114
IS - 2
ER -