Complications

Complications of rhabdomyosarcoma and its treatment include:

• Cancer that spreads (metastasizes). Rhabdomyosarcoma can spread from where it started to other areas, making treatment and recovery more difficult. Rhabdomyosarcoma most often spreads to the lungs, lymph nodes and bones.
• Long-term treatment side effects. The aggressive treatments needed to control rhabdomyosarcoma can cause substantial side effects, in both the short and the long terms. Your health care team can help you manage the side effects that happen during treatment and provide you with a list of side effects to watch for in the years after treatment.