Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a very rare malignant tumor (“cancer”) that arises from a normal skeletal muscle cell. Dr. Leonard Wexler of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has written an in-depth article, Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) for our Electronic Sarcoma Update Newsletter (ESUN). His article gives an extensive set of references to articles dealing with this disease. We are grateful to Dr. Wexler, an extremely busy pediatric oncologist and researcher, for finding the time to undertake this project. Click on the above link to view his article.  

There are over 50 subtypes of sarcoma. The American Cancer Society’s Key Statistics About Sarcoma states that the most common types of soft tissue sarcoma are: MFH or Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma (28%), liposarcoma (15%), LMS or leiomyosarcoma (12%), synovial sarcoma (10%), malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (6%), and rhabdomyosarcoma (5%). All of the other types of soft tissue sarcoma occur at percentages of 3% or less. The ACS’ Key Statistics for Bone Cancer states that the most common types of bone cancer are osteosarcoma (35%), chondrosarcoma (26%), Ewing’s bone sarcoma (16%), chordoma (8%), and malignant fibrous histiocytoma/fibrosarcoma (6%). Other rare bone cancers account for the remaining 9%.

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