What is Rhabdomyosarcoma?
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a rare cancer in children and teens that begins in cells that normally develop into skeletal muscles called rhabdomyoblasts. It has an average diagnosis of about 500 per year.
RMS usually develops in the arms and legs, but can also be found in these areas:
- Head and neck
- Near the eye
- Sinuses and throat
- Near the spine
- Chest
- Abdomen
- Urinary and reproductive organs
RMS symptoms will vary depending on the location, but the most common symptoms may include the following:
Neck, chest, back, arm, leg, or groin:
- Lump or swelling
- Pain, redness, or other problems
Eye:
- Eye bulging out
- Appearance of being cross-eyed
- Vision problems
Ear or nasal sinuses:
- Earache
- Headache
- Nosebleeds
- Sinus congestion
Bladder or prostate:
- Blood in the urine
- Difficulty or pain when urinating
Vagina:
- Vaginal bleeding
Abdomen or pelvis:
- Vomiting
- Belly pain
- Constipation
- Difficulty or pain when having bowel movements
Bile ducts:
- Yellowing of the eyes or skin (jaundice)
Advanced stage RMS:
- Lumps under the skin (often in the neck, under the arm, or in the groin)
- Bone pain
- Constant cough
- Weakness
- Weight loss
RMS symptoms are often painful and difficult to ignore, especially because they are most common in children who have low pain tolerance. Despite being rare with no standard screening protocol, 4 out of 5 cases of RMS are found early. This is due to the availability of improved tools and methods for imaging tests, biopsies, and blood tests.
Certain inherited conditions may increase the risk of RMS. These conditions are caused by certain gene changes. If they are found in your child, constant monitoring should be done to detect and treat RMS early. These conditions include the following:
- Li-Fraumeni syndrome
- Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome
- Neurofibromatosis type 1
- Costello syndrome
- Noonan syndrome
RMS survival rates are estimated by the American Cancer Society using the risk-group category. Adults, who very rarely get RMS have a low survival rate. But children have an overall
5-year relative survival rate of 70%.
| Low-Risk Group | 70-90% |
| Intermediate-Risk Group | 50-70% |
| High-Risk Group | 20-30% |
Risk group category for RMS survival rates, ACS
If RMS is found, the following treatment options are available:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Stem cell replacement and high-dose chemotherapy
What Can I Do if My Child was Misdiagnosed or Diagnosed Late with Rhabdomyosarcoma in New York?
Seek a medical malpractice attorney for legal advice if your child has been misdiagnosed or diagnosed late by your doctor. Doctors have state-of-the-art tools to diagnose RMS at an early stage. But there are still cases where they fail to order the appropriate tests, order tests but do not read the results, or misinterpret the results. This can cause a delay in diagnosis, allowing cancer to spread and become more advanced. The longer cancer is left untreated, the lower survival rates become, and the more intense the required treatments will be.
If you or a loved one have been misdiagnosed or diagnosed late with RMS in New York, call the Porter Law Group for a free case evaluation. Our experienced medical malpractice lawyers work with board-certified medical experts who can review your medical records and test results, and see if your child’s RMS should have been diagnosed sooner.
Can I Sue for Medical Malpractice if My Child was Diagnosed Late with Rhabdomyosarcoma in New York?
Patients may be eligible to sue medical staff if their child’s RMS is diagnosed late. However, not all cases of late diagnosis are medical malpractice. You need to show that there was a doctor-patient relationship, that your doctor deviated from the expected standard of care for patients with similar conditions. And that this deviation was the proximate cause of your injury. For this, you need an experienced medical malpractice lawyer and a medical expert who can examine your case and testify for you.
Medical negligence cases are complex, especially in New York. You will have to deal with the daunting documentary and filing requirements and be aware of the statute of limitations within which you are allowed to file a claim. The Lawyers at Porter Law Group have a proven track record of delivering results for victims of medical negligence in New York. Our experienced malpractice attorneys have secured millions of dollars* for patients whose cancer was diagnosed late due to their doctor’s medical negligence.
Being a cancer patient, or taking care of one is tough enough. Do not put yourself through the hassle of fighting medical institutions and insurance companies by yourself. Call the Porter Law Group today for a free case evaluation, and we will do our utmost to give you and your family the answers, and the financial compensation you deserve.
Contact us at 833-PORTER9, or e-mail us at info@porterlawteam.com to discuss the details of our experience representing other clients and the results we were able to obtain in the past for clients who also suffered from cancer. In many ways, our results speak for themselves, and we will stand ready to help you and your family in your time of greatest need.
