Pleomorphic Rhabdomyosarcoma: response to irradiation.

Although the usefulness of radiation in treatment of many embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas is recognized, the pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcomas are frequently felt to be radioresistant and thus a potentially useful mode of therapy is overlooked. There is increasing evidence in the literature to document successful local management of pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcomas with radiation. The literature is reviewed briefly and a case of rhabdomyosarcoma of the heart is reported in which radiation in doses well tolerated by normal tissues successfully controlled several local lesions at various sites until the patient's demise from widespread disease 2 years after the initial treatment.