Benefit of delayed primary excision in rhabdomyosarcoma: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group. Cancer

Lautz TB, Chi YY, Li M, Wolden SL, Casey DL, Routh JC, Granberg CF, Binite O, Rudzinski ER, Hawkins DS, Venkatramani R, Rodeberg DA. Benefit of delayed primary excision in rhabdomyosarcoma: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group. Cancer. 2021 Jan 15;127(2):275-283. doi: 10.1002/cncr.33275. Epub 2020 Oct 20. PubMed PMID: 33079399; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7790947.

Most children with intermediate risk rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) have gross disease (Group III) at the initiation of chemotherapy. Delayed primary excision (DPE) after induction chemotherapy allows for a reduction in adjuvant radiation dose, but with the risk of potential surgical morbidity. The aims of this study were to compare outcomes for Group III RMS with and without DPE and assess surgical morbidity. The study included 369 Clinical Group III patients at sites amenable to DPE from intermediate-risk COG studies D9803 (encouraged DPE) and ARST0531 (discouraged DPE).