Correlation between oncological family history and clinical outcome in a large monocentric cohort of pediatric patients with rhabdomyosarcoma

Background Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), an aggressive soft tissue sarcoma of the skeletal muscle generally affecting children and adolescents, shows extensive heterogeneity in histology, site and age of onset, clinical course, and prognosis. Tumorigenesis of RMS is multifactorial and genetic predisposition together with the family history of cancer may provide critical information to enhance the current knowledge and foster genetic counseling and testing. Methods In our study, we evaluated the possible correlation of oncological family history with clinical outcomes in a cohort of RMS 512 patients and treated at the Pediatric Oncology Unit of our Institute. Family history was retrospectively collected from the specific ad hoc form available in medical records and filled in through an interview with the patients’ parents at the time of RMS diagnosis. Results While our series did not show a specific association between oncological family history and clinical variables, we observed an association with survival probabilities: among patients with a history of cancer-affected first-degree relatives at the time of the diagnosis, all children with alveolar RMS (ARMS) died of disease. Conclusion Our study not only reports an interesting and not previously described association between a poor clinical outcome and ARMS in patients with young cancer-affected relatives, but also stimulates the discussion on oncological family history in RMS, to improve the clinical management of these young patients and their families.