Al-kindy college of medicine, University of Baghdad , Baghdad , Iraq
Al-Mahmodia Hospital , Baghdad , Iraq
Al-kindy Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology , Baghdad , Iraq
Al-kindy College of Medicine , University of Baghdad , Baghdad , Iraq
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in pediatrics and adolescents. Limited data is available on the characteristics of RMS in Iraqi pediatric patients. To examine the clinical and histological aspects of RMS in Iraqi children, with a focus on their response to treatment, prognosis, and survival. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the oncology unit of Children Teaching Hospital and included patients who were newly diagnosed with RMS and received treatment during the period between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019. The patients were followed up on from the time of diagnosis until October 1, 2020. A total of 59 patients were included with a median age of 3.5 years ranging between 1-12 years with a male-to-female ratio of 3.2:1. The most frequent clinical presentation was urine retention 15 (25.4%), followed by proptosis in 14 (23.7%), however, the main site of involvement was the head and neck in 23 (39%), followed by the trunk 17 (28.8%), then genitourinary 15 (25.4%). The alveolar type 11 (18.7%) was the most prevalent histological variety, followed by the embryonal type 42 (71.3%) and six patients (9.7%) with other varieties. Of the 49 included in the prognosis assessment, 18 patients (36.7%) had a complete response, 20 patients (40.8%) died, and 11 patients abandoned treatment. The average duration of disease recurrence was 21.3 months, with a 7% recurrence rate. The overall survival rate was 36.7%. with a mean survival duration of 14.1 months. Pediatric RMS in Iraq is primarily prevalent in males. There is a significant delay in disease diagnosis from the onset of the symptoms. A high rate of advanced-stage disease may relate to patients reluctant to discontinue treatment. The low disease-free survival rate is due to impediments that hindered the effectiveness of therapy
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The statements, opinions and data contained in the journal are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publisher and the editor(s). We stay neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.