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

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 rhabdomyosarcomas. Only 30 cases of soft palate rhabdomyosarcoma have been reported in recent years and none had long-term follow-up periods (greater than 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.