Recent Advances and Challenges in the Treatment of Rhabdomyosarcoma

Abstract

Rhabdomyosarcoma, the most common soft tissue sarcoma noted in childhood, requires multimodality treatment, including chemotherapy, surgical resection, and/or radiation therapy. The majority of the patients with localized rhabdomyosarcoma can be cured; however, the long-term outcomes in patients with metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma remain poor. The standard chemotherapy regimen for patients with rhabdomyosarcoma is the combination of vincristine, actinomycin, and cyclophosphamide/ifosfamide. In recent clinical trials, modifications of the standard chemotherapy protocol have shown improvements in the outcomes in patients with rhabdomyosarcoma. In various type of malignancies, new treatments, such as molecular targeted drugs and immunotherapies, have shown superior clinical outcomes compared to those of standard treatments. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the benefits of these treatments in patients with rhabdomyosarcoma. Moreover, recent basic and clinical studies on rhabdomyosarcoma have reported promising therapeutic targets and novel therapeutic approaches. This article reviews the recent challenges and advances in the management of rhabdomyosarcoma.