[SkiptoContent]SharetoFacebookSharetoTwitterSharetoPinterestShareviaEmailKidsHealth/forParents/Rhabdomyosarcoma(RMS)Rhabdomyosarcoma(RMS)Reviewedby:ScottM.Bradfield,MD,MBALargertextsizeLargetextsizeRegulartextsizePrintenespañolRabdomiosarcomaWhatIsRhabdomyosarcoma(RMS)?Rhabdomyosarcoma(RMSor"rhabdo")isacanceroustumorthatdevelopsinthebody'ssofttissues,usuallythemuscles.Itcanaffectthehead,neck,bladder,vagina,arms,legs,trunk,orjustaboutanybodypart.Cellsfromrhabdomyosarcomasareoftenfastgrowingandcanspread(metastasize)tootherpartsofthebody.Rhabdomyosarcoma(rab-doe-myo-sar-KO-muh)isthemostcommontypeofsoft-tissuecancerinchildren.Kidscandevelopitatanyage,butmostcasesareinkidsbetween2and6yearsoldand15and19yearsold.Boystendtobeaffectedmoreoftenthangirls.TreatingRMSusuallyincludeschemotherapy,surgery,andradiation.Withearlydetectionandtimelytreatment,mostkidsmakeafullrecovery.TypesofTumorsThetwomaintypesofRMSinkidsare:EmbryonalRMS:Thistumorusuallydevelopsintheheadandneckarea,genitals,orurinarytract.Ittypicallyaffectskidsyoungerthan6.Althoughit'sanaggressive(fast-growing)typeoftumor,mostcasesofembryonalRMSrespondwelltotreatment.AlveolarRMS:Thistype,whichismostlikelytohappenduringtheteenyears,mostoftenaffectsthearmsorlegs,chest,orabdomen.It,too,isfast-growingbutoftenmoredifficulttotreat.MostkidswithalveolarRMSneedintensivetreatment.WhatCausesRhabdomyosarcoma(RMS)?ThecauseofRMSisn'tclear,butdoctorsknowthatcertainmedicalconditionscanmakesomechildrenmorelikelytodevelopit.Theseincludegeneticconditionslike:Li-Fraumenisyndrome,araregeneticdisorderthatmakesapersonlikelytodevelopcanceratsomepointinhisorherlifeNeurofibromatosis,aconditionthatcausestumorstogrowonnervetissueBeckwith-Wiedemannsyndrome,acongenital(presentatbirth)disorderthatcancausetoomuchgrowthinthebody,includingtheinternalorgansCostellosyndromeandNoonansyndrome,bothofwhichcancausedeformities,developmentaldelays,andotherproblemsWhatAretheSignsandSymptomsof Rhabdomyosarcoma(RMS)?SymptomsofRMSdependonthesizeandlocationofthetum