Bulk disease as the major problem in the cure of paediatric sarcomas.

Abstract

Bulk disease is a problem in all the major paediatric sarcomas. It is the pre-eminent problem in parameningeal rhabdomyosarcoma but only a recently recognised problem in limb osteogenic sarcoma (only since the advent of limb-conserving surgery). In all cases where a large bulk of sarcoma threatens to relapse locally, multimodality therapy (surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy) stands a better chance of sterilisation than individual modalities of therapy, and such multimodality therapy stands its best chance when it is used early, that is, all three modalities are used at the beginning or shortly after commencement of the treatment course.