Childhood rhabdomyosarcomas of the head and neck.

The most common soft tissue sarcoma occurring in infants and children is rhabdomyosarcoma, the head and neck being a frequently involved site. Treatment philosophy underwent an evolution in 1968 from radical surgery with or without adjunctive radiation therapy to a planned protocol incorporating surgery and irradiation with combination cyclic chemotherapy involving vincristine sulfate, dactinomycin, and cyclophosphamide. This study represents an analysis of 35 infants and children treated at Columbus Children's Hospital from 1955 to 1976. An evaluation of factors is discussed with respect to effect on survival. The fact that the study includes the full spectrum of treatment philosophies ranging from the previous program of aggressive surgical resection to the current multimodality approach permits a unique opportunity to analyze the success of the recent therapeutic program.