Solitary Fibrous Tumors

Treatment

Treatments for solitary fibrous tumors differ depending on the site of origin. The most common solitary fibrous tumors grow in the membrane that covers the lungs, but they can occur in other parts of the body. Experienced thoracic surgeons, colon and rectal surgeons, gynecologic surgeons and urologists at Mayo provide treatment.

When determining treatment choices — which may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or investigational care provided through clinical trials — physicians consider many factors, including:

• Patient's age and general health
• Type and grade of the disease
• Size of the tumor at diagnosis
• Tumor's location

Surgery

If physicians find the solitary fibrous tumor before it has spread to nearby organs, surgery may be an option. The surgical approach depends upon the tumor site. When the condition is malignant, physicians may remove nearby lymph nodes (lymph node dissection) to check for the spread of the disease. Whenever possible, surgeons remove the entire tumor.

Radiation Therapy

When a malignant tumor cannot be surgically removed, physicians may use radiation therapy — high-dose X-rays that destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. Sometimes radiation follows surgery or may be delivered prior to surgery. Intraoperative radiation may be used if the tumor cannot be removed with wide margins. When a solitary fibrous tumor has metastasized (spread) to other parts of the body, physicians may use external beam radiation to help minimize symptoms.

Chemotherapy

Physicians use chemotherapy to treat solitary fibrous tumors only in rare cases where the condition has spread throughout the body. Treatment may entail systemic chemotherapy (reaching the entire body). When a malignant solitary fibrous tumor develops in the liver, physicians may use chemoembolization. They infuse chemotherapy into the artery that supplies the diseased area of the liver, and then block that artery to keep the drugs in the area of the tumor.