Sinonasal radiation-associated osteosarcoma after combined therapy for rhabdomyosarcoma of the nose

Radiation-associated (RA) osteosarcomas (OS) are exceptional in children, presenting more frequently in middle-aged and elderly patients. This is a case report of RA-OS of the sinonasal cavities in a 13-yr-old girl after combined therapy for rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) of the nose diagnosed at the age of five. The treatment of choice is radical surgery with wide margins and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Despite an episode of recurrence, at the present time the patient is alive and free of disease 5 yr after the initial treatment of OS. The association between radiation, chemotherapy and sarcomas is reviewed and discussed.