RATIONALE: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a common soft tissue sarcoma in children with high malignancy. The prognosis of refractory recurrent RMS is extremely poor, and the 5-year survival rate is less than 20%. PATIENT CONCERNS: We reported a 2-year-old male patient with RMS who underwent 3 operations and 2 recurrences while being treated with regular multidisciplinary therapy. DIAGNOSES: A diagnosis of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma with primary bladder (IIIa, TNM stage 2, and medium risk group) was made. INTERVENTIONS: After repeated recurrence, the patient was treated with chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells, which had a safety mechanism and specifically bound the CD56 antigen in the fourth generation. OUTCOMES: The process of CAR-T cell transfusion was smooth, and there were no significant cytokine release syndrome manifestations after reinfusion. The patient was in complete remission at last follow-up visit after 3.5 years. CONCLUSION: CD56-CAR-T cell therapy is a safe and effective approach and may be an option for children with solid tumors who are nonresponsive to conventional radiotherapy and chemotherapy, or are unsuitable for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.