An alternative to bone marrow sampling: Children with sarcomas may be spared a painful procedure
Rhabdomyosarcomas are a rare form of cancer; however, the disease is responsible for about 60% of all soft-tissue sarcomas in children. Rhabdomyosarcomas are aberrant, malignant forms of muscle tissue. Early detection of bone marrow infiltration by tumor cells is crucial when planning treatment.
Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare form of cancer that accounts for about 60% of all soft-tissue sarcomas in children. Early detection of bone marrow infiltration by tumor cells is crucial for treatment planning. Traditionally, bone marrow sampling has been considered the gold standard for determining tumor spread, but it is painful and may miss patchy bone marrow involvement.
To find an alternative, researchers explored positron emission tomography (PET) imaging combined with weakly radiolabeled sugar molecules called FDG. PET imaging makes tumors visible due to cancer cells' high energy requirements and radioactivity uptake. In a study involving over 300 patients with rhabdomyosarcoma, including half between 1 and 10 years old, FDG-PET imaging detected most bone marrow involvement identified by sampling and found additional cases missed by sampling.
In about 70% of cases, both sampling and FDG-PET imaging indicated bone marrow involvement, while 30% of positive diagnoses were based solely on FDG-PET imaging. Only one case showed a positive result from standard sampling that was not detected by PET. The study concludes that FDG-PET can detect bone marrow involvement as effectively as bone marrow aspirates or biopsies and should be the first step in diagnostic practices.
If PET imaging detects no FDG-avid bone marrow foci, sampling would not be necessary. Confirming abnormal PET findings with bone marrow sampling or magnetic resonance imaging is still recommended, as other causes can lead to a positive imaging result, such as injuries or inflammation.
Written by urgent.news from Medical Xpress's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
