Rhabdomyosarcoma of the Cervix in a Post-Menopausal Woman—An Unparalleled Phenomenon

Abstract

Rhabdomyosarcoma of the cervix is a soft tissue sarcoma that usually occurs in young women. It is very rare in adulthood. We discuss symptoms, the process of diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma embryonale of the cervix in a 61-year-old women and differences in treatment dependent on patient’s age. A 61-year-old woman with symptoms such as palpable mass in the external cervical opening and post-menopausal hemorrhaging was admitted to the oncology ward where excision of the polyp was performed. Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) was diagnosed by histopathological examination of obtained tissues. The diagnosis was complemented by chest computed tomography and pelvis magnetic resonance imaging to exclude metastases. A Wertheim–Meigs operation and excision of the ovaries, the fallopian tubes and the surrounding tissue was performed in the course of treatment. In the patient’s follow-up of 25 months to date, there have been no signs of recurrence or symptoms connected to ERMS. Based on the therapeutic outcome, the decision to limit the treatment to a surgical resection was adequate for a post-menopausal patient. Because of the rarity of ERMS in the post-menopausal age, we think that the patient should be carefully followed up to further examine this issue and develop diagnostic and treatment guidelines.

Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the female gynecologic tract: a retrospective clinical study of 14 cases

“…RMS can involve different parts of the body but are more prevalent in the head and neck area followed by the genitourinary system with nearly half being embryonal RMS (ERMS) [14]. ERMS usually occurs in the vagina during childhood [2].…”

Clinicopathologic characteristics, treatment, prognosis and pregnancy outcomes in rhabdomyosarcoma of the uterine cervix: a case series

“…However, it should be noted that recurrence after conservative treatment is not uncommon, especially in patients who have not received postoperative chemotherapy or who have had inadequate cycles of chemotherapy [15]. However, most adults with genitourinary RMS have a late diagnosis, extensive lesions, and a high risk of metastasis; most have completed childbirth, in which case more aggressive multimodality therapy, such as radiation and chemotherapy combined with total hysterectomy and local lymph node dissection, is needed [16]. RMS is a chemosensitive tumour.…”