Pediatric Sarcoma

Childhood sarcoma is a cancer that forms in bone, muscle, fat, fibrous tissue, blood vessels, or other supporting tissue of the body. Soft-tissue sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of malignant tumors derived from primitive mesenchymal cells. 

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common childhood soft tissue sarcoma in children 14 years and younger, and accounts for 3% of all malignant neoplasms in children. Other sarcomas are categorized as Nonrhabdomyosarcoma soft-tissue sarcomas (NRSTS). Among the NRSTS, the most common subtypes include synovial sarcoma and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor.

Most sarcoma present as painless masses. Symptoms depend on the location and invasion of the adjacent normal structures. The common sites of the primary lesions of sarcoma are head and neck, extremities, trunk, perineum, bladder, vagina, etc.

The risk of soft tissue sarcoma may be increased if the child has one of the following inherited disorders: Li-Fraumeni syndrome, RB1 gene mutation, Werner syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, or adenosine deaminase-deficient severe combined immunodeficiency. Another risk factor is past treatment with radiation therapy.

There is no known method to prevent sarcoma in children. However, the patient needs to get regular screening for cancer if they have cancer predisposition syndrome.