At the Nuclear Medicine and Oncology Center - Bach Mai Hospital, patient D.V.M (20 years old) said he had had pain in his lower back for 10 days, a dull pain spreading to the pelvis on both sides, accompanied by pain in the left groin, and a headache on the left side. Recently, the pain has increased, and pain relievers have not helped.

The doctor ordered a CT scan of the abdomen, which detected a mass in the left pelvic area causing compression of the renal pelvis and left ureter, along with lymph nodes in the pelvic area, masses in the liver, and nodules on both sides of the lungs. The patient's family has a paternal grandfather with esophageal cancer, and a maternal grandfather with rectal cancer.

On May 10, Dr. Pham Cam Phuong, Director of the Center, said that the biopsy results determined that the patient had a very rare embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma in the pelvic area, which had metastasized to the lungs, brain, and liver.

The doctor consulted and prescribed systemic therapy. After three cycles, the patient's health was stable, with less pain in the lower back, no more pain in the left groin, no headache, and normal urination and defecation. Tumor markers were within normal limits.

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a malignant tumor originating from primitive mesenchymal cells that can appear in any organ in the body. This is the most common type of soft tissue sarcoma and is often found in children, usually diagnosed before the age of 10.

In the US, the incidence is highest in young people under 20 years old, with only 4.4 cases/1 million people. The disease is very rare in adults, accounting for < 1% of all malignant tumors.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the histopathological classification of rhabdomyosarcoma includes:

- Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma/ ERMS

- Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma/ ARMS

- Pleomorphic Rhabdomyosarcoma/ PRMS

- Spindle cell/sclerosing Rhabdomyosarcoma/ SC-RMS

Of which, embryonal sarcoma (ERMS) and alveolar sarcoma (ARMS) are soft tissue sarcomas that are almost exclusively found in children. However, the prognosis in adults is worse when compared to children, with a 5-year survival rate of less than 30%.

Currently, the leading treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma is multimodal treatment combining chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy. Depending on the stage and condition of each patient, the doctor will give appropriate instructions. In particular, surgery is the standard treatment option for all patients with soft tissue sarcoma when the tumor is still localized.