Survival statistics for rhabdomyosarcoma

Survival statistics for rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) are very general estimates and must be interpreted very carefully. These statistics are based on the experience of groups of children and cannot be used to predict a particular child's chances of survival.

There are many different ways to measure and report cancer survival statistics. Your child's doctor can explain the statistics for RMS and what they mean for your child.

Observed survival is also called overall survival. It is the percentage of children with a certain type of cancer who are expected to live for at least a specified period of time after their diagnosis. Doctors often use the observed survival rate when they talk about a prognosis (outcome).

The 5-year observed survival for RMS in children 0 to 14 years of age is 70%. This means that, on average, 70% of children 0 to 14 years of age diagnosed with RMS are expected to live at least 5 years after their diagnosis. The 5-year observed survival for RMS in children 15 to 19 years of age is 46%.

Survival varies with each risk group for RMS. The following factors can also affect survival for RMS:

• where the tumour started
• the stage and clinical group
• the child’s age
• the type of RMS

There are no specific Canadian statistics available for the different risk groups of RMS. The following information comes from a variety of sources. It may include statistics from other countries that are likely to have similar outcomes to Canada.

Talk to your child’s doctor about their prognosis. A prognosis depends on many things, including:

• the child’s health history
• type of RMS
• the stage and clinical group
• certain characteristics of the cancer
• the treatments chosen

Only a doctor familiar with these factors can put all of this information together with survival statistics to arrive at a prognosis.