Rhabdomyosarcoma of the soft palate in three patients with follow-up of longer than ten years

Abstract

Rhabdomyosarcoma of the head and neck is a rare childhood neoplasm. Most occur in the orbit, which accounts for the scarcity of papers on modern techniques of treatment of soft palate rhab-domyosarcomas. Only 30 cases of soft palate rhabdomyosar-coma have been reported in recent years and none had long-term follow-up periods (>10 yr). This study reports three cases of pediatric soft palate rhabdomyosarcomas treated with surgery, radiotherapy (two of three), and chemotherapy. The complications that occurred in one patient are discussed.