RESPONSE WITH COMBINED-MODALITY TREATMENT IN CHILDHOOD RHABDOMYOSARCOMA

Children diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma at the Tata Memorial Hospital during the period January 1986-December 1988 were studied. All were t reated with combination chemotherapy incorporating vincristine, Adriam ycin, and cyclophosphamide given sequentially in repeated cycles over 18 months, along with local radiotherapy. Of 24 patients, 18 patients had advanced-stage disease at onset. All patients have been followed u p for 18 months or more. Of the 11 patients with group III disease, si x are in complete remission; of the six patients with group IV disease , two patients are in complete remission. These results are clearly be tter than those achieved in the past, where surgery was employed as th e primary modality of therapy with chemoradiotherapy given only for pa tients with group IV disease. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.