There are two types of muscle cells in the body: smooth and striated muscle cells. The former control involuntary activity; the second, the voluntary movement. Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a malignant tumor, originating from normal skeletal muscle cells. It is not known for sure why a striated muscle cell undergoes neoplastic transformation, it is a cancerous (malignant) tumor in the muscles that are attached to the bones. This cancer mainly affects children and with certain congenital anomalies they are at higher risk. Some families have a genetic mutation that increases risk and the vast majority have no known risk factors.

Treatment: All children with Rhabdomyosarcoma are treated with chemotherapy, most will also receive some combination of radiotherapy and surgery, which will depend on the size and location of the primary tumor and the proportion of this, which can be surgically removed.