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Malignant schwannoma—Clinical characteristics, survival, and response to therapy
Author(s) -
Sordillo Peter P.,
Helson Lawrence,
Hajdu Steven I.,
Magill Gordon B.,
Kosloff Cynthia,
Golbey Robert B.,
Beattie Edward J.
Publication year - 1981
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(19810515)47:10<2503::aid-cncr2820471033>3.0.co;2-3
Subject(s) - medicine , neurofibromatosis , schwannoma , radiation therapy , adjuvant radiotherapy , chemotherapy , adjuvant therapy , surgery , differential diagnosis , radiology , pathology
One hundred and sixty‐five cases of malignant schwannoma were reviewed. Sixty‐five (40%) of the patients had evidence of disseminated neurofibromatosis. Patients with neurofibromatosis were younger, had malignant schwannomas that were centrally rather than peripherally located, and had a shorter five‐year survival (23%) than patients with solitary malignant schwannomas (47%). Histologically, tumors developing in patients with neurofibromatosis had a collagenous appearance, while tumors in patients without neurofibromatosis were undifferentiated and highly cellular. The clinical course of both groups of patients tended to be that of multiple local recurrences, although local recurrence had a more ominous prognosis in patients with neurofibromatosis. Chemotherapy responses in all these patients were extremely poor; however, the results of adjuvant therapy after surgery appeared encouraging. Fourteen patients (8.5%) had a malignant schwannoma in an area of prior radiation therapy and died of disease a median of 14 months after diagnosis. Malignant schwannoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of tumors developing in areas previously treated with radiation.