Tumors of the Chest Wall

Primary tumors of the chest wall are uncommon. Chest wall tumors, whether malignant or benign,are classified as primary or secondary (metastatic).The most common benign tumors are osteochondromas and chondromas. The most common malignant chest wall tumors are sarcomas. Most primary tumors originate in the bones or muscles of the chest wall, though they can also arise from nerves and vessels. Less than half of malignant chest wall tumors are primary. Secondary tumors originate elsewhere in the body and spread (metastasize) to the chest wall. The most frequent secondary tumors of the chest wall spread from primary breast and lung cancer. In fact, they can either locally extend to the chest wall, or metastasize to it. Furthermore, other tumors that are not unfrequently spread to the pleura include those originating from ovary, kidney, uterus, head and neck, and testis. Therefore, almost all secondary tumors are malignant. Most chest wall tumors found in children are primary, while most found in adults are secondary . It is often difficult to make an accurate presurgical diagnosis and differentiate benign from malignant tumors. Most patients with primary chest wall tumor receive surgical biopsy or radical surgical resection.