Cancer Health Center

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NRSTSs are more common in adults [5] than in children; therefore, much of the information regarding the treatment and natural history of children with these lesions has been on the basis of findings from adult studies. Some pediatric NRSTSs are associated with a better outcome. This difference is most pronounced for infants and children younger than 4 years with fibrosarcoma, which is a locally aggressive but not metastatic tumor. These patients have an excellent prognosis given that the tumor is highly chemosensitive and surgery alone can cure a significant number of these patients.[4,11,12,13] Soft tissue sarcomas in older children and adolescents often behave similarly to those in adult patients.[4,14]

Although they can develop in any part of the body, NRSTSs arise most commonly in the trunk and extremities.[6,7,15] These neoplasms can present initially as an asymptomatic solid mass, or they may be symptomatic because of local invasion of adjacent anatomical structures. Systemic symptoms (e.g., fever, weight loss, and night sweats) are rare. Hypoglycemia and hypophosphatemic rickets have been reported in cases of hemangiopericytoma, whereas hyperglycemia has been noted in patients with fibrosarcoma of the lung.[16]

Some genetic and environmental factors have been associated with the development of NRSTS. Heritable cancer-associated changes of the p53 tumor suppressor gene can occur in families with Li-Fraumeni syndrome.[17] Members of these families have an increased risk of developing soft tissue tumors, bone sarcomas, breast cancer, brain tumors, and acute leukemia.[4] Approximately 4% of patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 develop malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, which usually develop after a long latency; some patients develop multiple lesions.[18,19,20] Patients with familial adenomatous polyposis are at increased risk for developing desmoid tumors.[21] Some NRSTSs (particularly malignant fibrous histiocytoma) can develop within a previously irradiated site; others (e.g., leiomyosarcoma) have been linked to Epstein-Barr virus infection in patients with AIDS.[4,22,23]

Synovial sarcomas are the most common NRSTSs reported in children. The most common location is the lower extremity followed by upper extremity, trunk, abdomen, and head and neck. Approximately 30% of patients with synovial sarcoma are younger than 20 years. The most common site of metastasis is the lung.[24] Factors such as International Union Against Cancer/American Joint Committee on Cancer stage III/stage IVA, tumor necrosis, truncal locations, elevated mitotic rate, age, and histologic grade have been associated with a worse prognosis in adults.[25,26,27]

(Refer to the PDQ summary on Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma Treatment for more information. Refer to the PDQ summary on Ewing Sarcoma Family of Tumors Treatment for more information on extraosseous Ewing, peripheral neuroepithelioma, and Askin tumors.)

The prognosis and biology of NRSTS tumors vary greatly depending on the age of the patient, the primary site, tumor size, tumor invasiveness, histologic grade, depth of invasion, and extent of disease at diagnosis. Because long-term related morbidity must be minimized while disease-free survival is maximized, the ideal therapy for each patient must be carefully and individually determined utilizing these prognostic factors before initiating therapy for these patients.[7,12,24,28,29,30]

References:

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23. McClain KL, Leach CT, Jenson HB, et al.: Association of Epstein-Barr virus with leiomyosarcomas in children with AIDS. N Engl J Med 332 (1): 12-8, 1995.
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