If rhabdomyosarcoma spreads

Last medical review: June 2021

Cancer cells can spread from where they started to other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis.

Understanding how a type of cancer usually grows and spreads helps your child's healthcare team plan treatment and future care. If rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) spreads, it can spread to the following:

lungs
bones
bone marrow
liver
distant muscles
distant lymph nodes
breasts
brain or spinal cord (called the central nervous system, or CNS)

Paul Nathan, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Normand Laperriere, MD, FRCPC

Rhabdomyosarcoma. Provincial Health Services Authority. Musculoskeletal and Sarcoma. Vancouver, BC: http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/. March 20, 2020.
PDQ® Pediatric Treatment Editorial Board. Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma Treatment (PDQ®) – Patient Version. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute; 2019. https://www.cancer.gov/.
PDQ® Pediatric Treatment Editorial Board. Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma Treatment (PDQ®) – Health Professional Version. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute; 2020. https://www.cancer.gov/.
Cripe TP. Medscape Reference: Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma. WebMD LLC; 2018. https://www.medscape.com/.

Your trusted source for accurate cancer information

With just $5 from readers like you, we can continue to provide the highest quality cancer information for over 100 types of cancer.

We’re here to ensure easy access to accurate cancer information for you and the millions of people who visit this website every year. But we can’t do it alone.

If everyone reading this gave just $5, we could achieve our goal this month to fund reliable cancer information, compassionate support services and the most promising research. Please give today because every contribution counts. Thank you.

If rhabdomyosarcoma spreads

Expert review and references

Your trusted source for accurate cancer information

Medical disclaimer