Abstract: This paper offers an insight into the use of Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) in paediatric patients with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the literature, investigating comparative photon-proton dosimetry, outcome, and toxicity. In the complex and multimodal scenario of the treatment of RMS, clear evidence of the therapeutic superiority of PBT compared to other modern photon techniques has not yet been demonstrated; however, PBT can be considered an excellent treatment option, in particular for young children and patients with specific primary sites, such as the head and neck area (and especially the parameningeal regions), genito-urinary, pelvic, and paravertebral regions. The unique depth-dose characteristics of protons can be exploited to achieve significant reductions in normal tissue doses and may allow an escalation of tumour doses and greater sparing of normal tissues, thus potentially improving local control while at the same time reducing toxicity and improving quality of life. However, access of children with RMS (and more in general with solid tumors) to PBT remains a challenge, due to the limited number of available proton therapy installations.

Keywords: rhabdomyosarcoma, pediatric, proton beam therapy, local treatment, radiotherapy


中文翻译：

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质子治疗小儿横纹肌肉瘤的临床见解

摘要：本文深入探讨了质子束治疗 (PBT) 在儿科横纹肌肉瘤 (RMS) 患者中的应用。本文对文献进行了全面分析，研究了光子-质子剂量学的比较、结果和毒性。在治疗 RMS 的复杂和多模式场景中，与其他现代光子技术相比，PBT 的治疗优势尚未得到明确的证据证明；然而，PBT 可以被认为是一种很好的治疗选择，特别是对于幼儿和具有特定原发部位的患者，例如头颈部区域（尤其是脑膜旁区域）、泌尿生殖系统、骨盆和椎旁区域。可以利用质子独特的深度剂量特性来显着减少正常组织剂量，并可能允许增加肿瘤剂量并更大程度地保护正常组织，从而潜在地改善局部控制，同时降低毒性并提高治疗质量。生活。然而，由于可用的质子治疗装置数量有限，患有 RMS 的儿童（尤其是患有实体瘤的儿童）接受 PBT 仍然是一个挑战。

关键词：横纹肌肉瘤，儿科，质子束治疗，局部治疗，放射治疗