Ause and Effect on Rhabdomyosarcoma - Essay Example

Such genetic problems cause very quick development of the new cells and also cause the old cells to live for a very long period. The number of cells keeps increasing as a result of this, thus creating tumors. Certain genetic disorders can also cause damage to the DNA. However, in a vast majority of cases, doctors are unaware of the exact causes of abnormalities of the DNA which cause rhabdomyosarcoma in an individual. “There are no known lifestyle-related or environmental causes of RMS, so it is important to know that there is nothing these children or their parents could have done to prevent these cancers” (“Rhabdomyosarcoma” a).

Risk Factors Although there is a lot of subjectivity about the real causes of rhabdomyosarcoma, yet there are certain risk factors that increase an individual’s susceptibility to acquiring rhabdomyosarcoma. These risk factors include but are not limited to age, gender, and inherited conditions. The population that is most frequently affected by rhabdomyosarcoma is of children below ten years of age, though rhabdomyosarcoma may also be observed in adolescents, teenagers, and adults. Rhabdomyosarcoma is more frequently seen in boys or men as compared to girls or women.

People inherit their risk to fall prey to different kinds of cancer. The DNA inherited by an individual from the parents may have some changes to cause this tendency. The risk of rhabdomyosarcoma is increased by some inherited conditions, though they are generally very rare. For example, people with a family history of Li-Fraumeni syndrome have increased risk of acquiring different kinds of sacromas including rhabdomyosarcoma. Patients of Beckwith-Wierdemann syndrome are at great risk of development of the Wilms tumor.

Effects There are a lot of effects of rhabdomyosarcoma, some of which are discussed here. Rhabdomyosarcoma creates a mass inside the body which at times is painful while at other times, is not painful. Rhabdomyosarcoma causes development of tumors in the throat or nose. The development of tumors is accompanied with the symptoms of congestion, bleeding. Or neurological problems upon extension into brain. In some cases, the patient may experience problems in the process of swallowing. Sometimes, rhabdomyosarcoma in the patient causes the development of tumors around the eyes which can cause such harmful effects as the eye’s bulging, and swelling.

In a vast majority of cases when this happens, the individual experiences problems with vision. Rhabdomyosarcoma causes development of tumors inside the ears due to which, the patient suffers from a loss of hearing ability and also experiences swelling inside the ear. Rhabdomyosarcoma also causes the tumors to develop inside the vagina, and they may be visible from the vagina’s opening. Tumors in such regions as vagina and bladder not only decline an individual’s control over urine, but also affect the sexual life of the individual.

Tumors in the muscles are also a great source of pain. Owing to this, many patients interpret the muscle tumors as injuries. Treatment Treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma is complicated. It requires mutual effort of several nurses, doctors, and physicians. The most effective treatment option is worked out jointly by the pediatric oncologists, oncology nurses, surgeons, and radiation oncologists. “