Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors

Overview

Your peripheral nervous system includes nerves that travel out from your brain and spinal cord (your central nervous system) to other parts of your body. The nerve sheath is the soft tissue that covers the nerve. A malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is cancerous — a soft tissue sarcoma that forms from peripheral nerve sheath cells or from noncancerous (benign) peripheral nerve sheath tumors called neurofibromas.

MPNSTs occur most commonly in deep soft tissue along the nerves that run from the buttocks to legs (sciatic nerves), neck to arms or within the pelvis, but they can occur elsewhere. They can be fast growing, with few or no symptoms in the earliest stages, and cause pain or nerve loss as the tumors grow. A small percentage of people who have neurofibromatosis, an inherited condition that causes neurofibromas, develop MPNSTs.

Why choose Mayo Clinic for MPNST

• Experience and expertise. Mayo Clinic is nationally recognized for experience and expertise in peripheral nerve surgery and neurofibromatosis, and is one of the leading centers for diagnosing and treating peripheral nerve tumors.
• Teamwork. At Mayo Clinic, a team of experienced and highly trained specialists from neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, oncology, radiation oncology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, genetic counseling, and other specialties work together to diagnose MPNSTs and determine the most appropriate treatment for you. Mayo's multispecialty treatment approach effectively helps people with MPNSTs to maintain function and improve quality of life.
• Latest treatments. While there is no known cure for MPNSTs, best results are usually achieved with surgery, often combining radiation or chemotherapy. At Mayo Clinic you have access to new and experimental treatments for MPNSTs.
• Comprehensive cancer center. Mayo Clinic Cancer Center meets strict standards for a National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer center, recognizing scientific excellence and a multispecialty approach focused on cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is ranked among the Best Hospitals for cancer by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., and Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., are ranked high performing for cancer by U.S. News & World Report.

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