Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor Treatment & Management
- Author: James I Geller, MD; Chief Editor: Max J Coppes, MD, PhD, MBA more...
Medical Care
After the primary tumor is surgically removed, chemotherapy is indicated as adjuvant treatment for malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT). Chemotherapy for malignant rhabdoid tumor was historically based on therapy for a Wilms tumor, which included vincristine, actinomycin, and doxorubicin with or without cyclophosphamide. With these agents, the estimated survival rate for patients with malignant rhabdoid tumor was only 23%.
To try to improve these results, investigators in NWTS 5 used a regimen consisting of carboplatin-etoposide alternating with cyclophosphamide. However, this strategy, did not improve outcomes. Recent case reports have documented successful outcomes in patients with metastatic malignant rhabdoid tumor treated with ifosfamide-carboplatin-etoposide (ICE) or ifosfamide-etoposide (IE) alternating with vincristine-doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide (VDC). On the basis of these reports, cyclophosphamide-carboplatin-etoposide (CCE) alternating with VDC is the main treatment in the current COG study.
Insights into the treatment of malignant rhabdoid tumor may be derived from the experience with atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT) of the CNS. Like its extra-CNS counterparts, AT/RT results in an unfavorable prognosis and is characterized by resistance to chemotherapy. A review of the AT/RT registry by Hilden and colleagues revealed that 14 (33%) of 42 patients with AT/RT survived disease-free over 9.5-month to 96-month follow-up.[12] Survivors were treated with surgery, radiation therapy, and various chemotherapy regimens that typically included cisplatin, etoposide, vincristine, ifosfamide, doxorubicin, actinomycin, cyclophosphamide, and intrathecal agents. Some survivors received high-dose therapy with autologous stem-cell rescue.
In a separate review by Tekautz et al, AT/RT presenting in older patients demonstrated a 2 year event-free survival of 78% when treated with a combination of radiation and high-dose alkylating therapy.[13] More recently, a multisite study of a multimodal therapy plan incorporating surgery, radiation, and a systemic and intrathecal conventional chemotherapeutic regimen based on a modified IRS-III regimen demonstrated a 2 year progression-free survival of 58%. This later study includes infants younger than 3 years. Considering all data, the COG AT/RT protocol is currently testing a regimen incorporating surgery, conventional chemotherapy, radiation, and tandem high dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue.
Two reports describe the successful use of high dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue to treat non-CNS malignant rhabdoid tumor.[14] However, in combination, none of the 4 children described had metastatic disease at presentation. Based on the limited data available at this time, whether high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue is of any added benefit for non-CNS malignant rhabdoid tumor is unclear.
Similarly, anecdotal reports suggest a benefit from the use of radiotherapy as part of multimodal therapy for malignant rhabdoid tumor. However, the lack of treatment uniformity among reported patients makes it difficult to determine if radiotherapy is effective for malignant rhabdoid tumor. In NWTS 1-5, radiation therapy was given to the flank or abdomen at total doses of 1080-3500 cGy. However, the optimal dose remains to be determined. Radiation therapy is a cornerstone of treatment for CNS AT/RT, and some suggest that the high doses delivered to the posterior fossa improve patients' outcomes.
Surgical Care
Children with a renal tumor or soft tissue mass should be referred to a pediatric surgeon with experience in oncologic surgery.
For renal tumors, a large transabdominal, transperitoneal incision is recommended for adequate exposure. If the mass is unilateral, a radical nephrectomy with subtotal ureterectomy should be performed. The tumor should be removed en bloc to avoid tumoral spillage into the peritoneal cavity because this spillage increases the stage of the tumor. If the mass involves the upper pole of the kidney, the adrenal gland should be removed.
Lymph nodes from the iliac, para-aortic, and celiac areas should be sampled, even if they do not appear abnormal. Lymph node dissection is not indicated. If the tumor is bilateral or unresectable, biopsy should be performed. If a bilateral or unresectable Wilms tumor is diagnosed, preoperative chemotherapy is recommended to shrink the tumor and facilitate subsequent resection. If malignant rhabdoid tumor is diagnosed, complete removal of the tumor is advised.
For extrarenal tumors, the surgical approach depends on the site of disease. Complete resection should be attempted if feasible. If not initially feasible, a preoperative course of chemotherapy is advised.
Consultations
Therapy for malignant rhabdoid tumor is intensive and requires a multidisciplinary effort.
Practitioners who should be consulted include the following:
- Pediatric oncologist
- Pediatric surgeon or urologist
- Radiation oncologist
- Pediatric clinical geneticist or genetics counselor
- Social worker
- Nutritionist
Diet
No dietary restrictions are necessary. The patient's nutritional status should be closely monitored to ensure adequate caloric intake during the intensive chemotherapy. Parenteral nutrition may be required at some point during treatment.
Activity
No restrictions on activity are necessary except during periods of thrombocytopenia. Standard neutropenic precautions should be employed when appropriate.
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| Drug | Dosage | Route | Schedule |
| Carboplatin | Target dose to the AUC of 6 mg/mL/min by using the Calvert equation | IV | Day 1 |
| Etoposide | 3.3 mg/kg/dose or 100 mg/m2/dose | IV | Days 1, 2, and 3 |
| Ifosfamide | 65 mg/kg/dose or 2 g/m2/dose | IV | Days 1, 2, and 3 |
| Mesna | 16 mg/kg/dose or 500 mg/m2/dose | IV | Start immediately after and at 3 h, 6 h, and 9 h after ifosfamide |
| Filgrastim G-CSF | 5 mcg/kg/dose | SC | Start 24 h after chemotherapy and continue until ANC recovers |
| Drug | Dosage | Route | Schedule |
| Vincristine | 0.05 mg/kg/dose or 1.5 mg/m2/dose; not to exceed 2 mg/dose | IV | Days 1, 8, and 15 |
| Doxorubicin | 1.2 mg/kg/dose or 37.5 mg/m2/dose | IV | Days 1 and 2 |
| Cyclophosphamide | 60 mg/kg/dose or 1.8 g/m2/dose | IV | Day 1 |
| Mesna | 15 mg/kg/dose or 450 mg/m2/dose | IV | Start immediately after and at 3, 6, and 9 h after cyclophosphamide |
| Filgrastim G-CSF | 5 mcg/kg/dose | SC | Start 24 h after chemotherapy and continue until ANC recovers |

