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Survival in malignant schwannoma. An 18‐year study
Author(s) -
White Hubert R.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197103)27:3<720::aid-cncr2820270331>3.0.co;2-d
Subject(s) - medicine , schwannoma , malignancy , surgery , metastasis , primary tumor , cancer , radiology , pathology
Follow‐up data was tabulated on 15 patients with malignant schwannoma encountered during an 18‐year period. Nine patients died of their tumor within 20 months after its recognition. Of the 6 survivors, 2 patients had lesions which showed focal histologic malignancy but have thus far behaved in a benign fashion. Three patients who had primary amputations have continued to survive, although one of these required lobectomy 41/2 years ago for pulmonary metastases which appeared 6 months after the initial procedure. The remaining survivor is clinically free of tumor 21/2 years after excision of the anterior abdominal wall primary, in spite of the resection of a lung and intra‐abdominal metastasis. The survival of patients in previously reported series is reviewed, and the phenomenon of intraneural and spinal subarachnoid spread is discussed. In addition, the significance of epithelioid and metaplastic elements in these tumors is evaluated. In view of the promising outcome of patients whose tumors were promptly recognized and vigorously treated, the dismal prognosis which was previously attached to malignant schwannoma seems no longer justified.