Pediatric pelvic tumors

What are pediatric pelvic tumors?

Tumors that occur in the pelvic area of children include:

• Ovarian germ cell tumors can develop in adolescent girls and young women.

• Extragonadal germ cell tumors occur in areas other than the testicles or ovaries.

• Ewing tumors of the pelvic bone. Ewing tumors are types of osteosarcoma that usually occur in children and teens.

• Chondrosarcomas are a type of bone sarcoma that develops in cartilaginous tissue.

• Rhabdomyosarcomas are rare soft tissue tumors that can occur in the genitourinary tract and lower abdominal or anal area.

• Desmoplastic small cell round tumor is a soft tissue sarcoma that can affect boys and can form or spread in the pelvis or in tissues around the testes.

What are the signs and symptoms of pediatric pelvic tumors?

Depending on the type and location of a tumor in the pelvis, a child might have abdominal pain and swelling. If a tumor is in or pressing on the sacrum, the child might experience constipation, incontinence or leg weakness.

How are pediatric pelvic tumors diagnosed?

• Computed tomography (CT scan)

• Magnetic resonance imaging 

• Nuclear bone scans

• Ultrasonography

How are pediatric pelvic tumors treated?

Treatment of tumors in the pelvis is complex, often involving critical structures such as the spinal cord. At Children’s Health, our specialists have experience treating rare childhood cancers. Our physicians participate in important clinical trials and our oncology and specialty departments are ranked as top pediatric programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

Our mission is to make life better for children. We’ll work together with you, our patients and their families to manage rare and complex tumors of the pelvis and return patients to their communities as soon as possible.