Indeterminate Pulmonary Nodules at Diagnosis in Rhabdomyosarcoma: Are They Clinically Significant? A Report From the European Paediatric Soft Tissue Sarcoma Study Group

J Clin Oncol. 2019 Mar 20;37(9):723-730. doi: 10.1200/JCO.18.01535. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical significance of indeterminate pulmonary nodules at diagnosis (defined as ≤ 4 pulmonary nodules < 5 mm or 1 nodule measuring ≥ 5 and < 10 mm) in patients with pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS).

Patients and methods: We selected patients with supposed nonmetastatic RMS treated in large pediatric oncology centers in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and the Netherlands, who were enrolled in the European Soft Tissue Sarcoma Study Group (E pSSG) RMS 2005 study. Patients included in the current study received a diagnosis between September 2005 and December 2013, and had chest computed tomography scans available for review that were done at time of diagnosis. Local radiologists were asked to review the chest computed tomography scans for the presence of pulmonary nodules and to record their findings on a standardized case report form. In the E pSSG RMS 2005 Study, patients with indeterminate pulmonary nodules were treated identically to patients without pulmonary nodules, enabling us to compare event-free survival and overall survival between groups by log-rank test.

Results: In total, 316 patients were included; 67 patients (21.2%) had indeterminate pulmonary nodules on imaging and 249 patients (78.8%) had no pulmonary nodules evident at diagnosis. Median follow-up for survivors (n = 258) was 75.1 months; respective 5-year event-free survival and overall survival rates (95% CI) were 77.0% (64.8% to 85.5%) and 82.0% (69.7% to 89.6%) for patients with indeterminate nodules and 73.2% (67.1% to 78.3%) and 80.8% (75.1% to 85.3%) for patients without nodules at diagnosis ( P = .68 and .76, respectively).

Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that indeterminate pulmonary nodules at diagnosis do not affect outcome in patients with otherwise localized RMS. There is no need to biopsy or upstage patients with RMS who have indeterminate pulmonary nodules at diagnosis.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Europe
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Lung Neoplasms / mortality
  • Lung Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Lung Neoplasms / therapy
  • Male
  • Multiple Pulmonary Nodules / diagnostic imaging
  • Multiple Pulmonary Nodules / mortality
  • Multiple Pulmonary Nodules / secondary*
  • Multiple Pulmonary Nodules / therapy
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Progression-Free Survival
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma / diagnostic imaging
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma / mortality
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma / secondary*
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma / therapy
  • Risk Factors
  • Soft Tissue Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Soft Tissue Neoplasms / mortality
  • Soft Tissue Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Soft Tissue Neoplasms / therapy
  • Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / diagnostic imaging
  • Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / mortality
  • Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / secondary*
  • Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / therapy
  • Time Factors
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Tumor Burden
  • Young Adult