Current trends in treatment of childhood rhabdomyosarcoma of lower genitourinary tract

Treatment of childhood embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the lower genitourinary tract is in the process of undergoing drastic changes. Extensive surgery with excision of the lesion and its contiguous structures leaving the patient with significant physical disability is being replaced by biopsy and aggressive combined chemotherapy along with radiation therapy. Although it would appear that survival may be improved by this approach, caution is recommended and extirpation advised should the tumor fail to respond rapidly to chemotherapy.