RECURRENT RHABDOMYOSARCOMA AFTER 25 YEARS - A POSSIBLE ASSOCIATION WITH ESTROGEN AND PROGESTOGEN THERAPY

Purpose: We describe a patient with a late recurrence of rhabdomyosarc oma and review the relevant literature. Patient and Methods: Recurrent rhabdomyosarcoma occurred in a young woman 25 years after initial pre sentation, with the onset of symptoms 3 months after commencing hormon al replacement therapy with estrogen and progestogen. The primary and recurrent tumors were immunocytochemically identical. The primary tumo r was steroid receptor negative but the recurrent tumor was estrogen a nd progesterone receptor positive. Discussion: Estrogen priming can st imulate synthesis of progesterone receptors which may modulate mitotic activity, which suggests a functional role for receptor positive cell s in modulating cell growth when sex hormone primed, with a possible t umor induction role of sex hormone replacement therapy, Conclusion: Th e late tumor recurrence may have been induced by estrogen and progesto gen treatment.