Yes, chemotherapy is a key component in the treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), but its effectiveness can vary.
Chemotherapy, often used in combination with surgery and radiation therapy, plays a crucial role in treating RMS. However, its effectiveness depends on whether the RMS is localized or metastatic.
- Localized RMS: Multi-drug chemotherapy regimens have significantly improved outcomes for patients with localized RMS.
- Metastatic RMS: Unfortunately, no marked improvement in outcomes has been observed in patients with metastatic RMS using chemotherapy.
Therefore, while chemotherapy is a standard treatment for RMS and has proven effective in localized cases, its impact is less pronounced when the cancer has spread (metastasized). The reference provided states, "Patients with RMS require multidisciplinary treatment, including chemotherapy, surgical resection and radiation therapy (RT). Multi-drug chemotherapy regimens significantly improved the outcome in patients with localized RMS, although no marked improvement has been observed in patients with metastatic RMS [18]."
