Rhabdomyosarcoma: an overview and nursing considerations

What is it about?

This article aims to provide nurses with a clinical overview of rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of soft tissue sarcoma. The causes, clinical features, pathophysiology, diagnostic process, prognosis and treatment will be explored. Some of the main nursing considerations for rhabdomyosarcoma patients will be discussed in light of current treatment recommendations.

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Why is it important?

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common type of soft tissue sarcoma in children and adolescents, but is rare in adults, accounting for 1% of all adult cancers and about 3% of all adult soft tissue sarcomas (Ferrari et al, 2003). Modern chemotherapy-based treatment regimens have improved RMS prognosis from an estimated 25% chance of survival in the 1970s to an estimated 70% in recent years (Egas-Bejar and Huh, 2014). This article aims to provide some current context to RMS with respect to recent evidence-based literature.

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