Rhabdomyosarcoma in Children in the Five-Year Period in Oncology
Unit in a Pediatric Teaching Hospital
Abbas Oweid Olewi1,4, Manaf Muwafak
Ahmed2,4, Nameer Mahdi Salih3,4, Zaid Al-Attar1
1University of Baghdad, Al-Kindy College
of Medicine, Baghdad, Iraq
2Al-Mahmodia Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq
3Al-Kindy Center for Diabetes and
Endocrinology, Baghdad, Iraq
4Children's Welfare Teaching Hospital,
Medical City, Baghdad, Iraq
SUMMARY
Introduction/Aim. Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft
tissue sarcoma in pediatric population and adolescents. Limited
data is available on the characteristics of RMS in Iraqi
pediatric patients. The aim of the study was to examine the
clinical and histological aspects of RMS in Iraqi children, with
a focus on their response to treatment, prognosis, and survival.
Methods. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the
Oncology Unit of Children's Welfare Teaching Hospital, Medical
City, Baghdad, Iraq 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 from the time of diagnosis until October 1,
2020.
Results. 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 in 15 patients (25.4%), followed by proptosis in
14 (23.7%) patients.
However, the main sites of involvement were the head and neck in
23 (39%) patients, followed by the trunk and the genitourinary
tract observed in 17 (28.8%) and 15 (25.4%) patients,
respectively. The alveolar type, found in 11 (18.7%) patients,
was the most prevalent histological variety, followed by the
embryonal type reported in 42 (71.3%) patients, whereas six
patients (9.7%) had other varieties. Of the 49 patients 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.
Conclusions. 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.
Keywords: rhabdomyosarcoma, follow up,
pediatrics, Iraq
Corresponding author:
Zaid Al-Attar
e-mail:
zaidattar@kmc.uobaghdad.edu.iq
ACTA FAC MED NAISS 2025;42(2):256-264