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Chest Wall Tumor

Chest wall serves a critical role in protection of chest cavity contents & also maintain integrity of respiratory function.Tumour of chest wall can arise from soft tissue or bony structure.Chest tumours may be benign or malignant.The treatment of chest wall tumour is wide local excision of lesion.Chemotherapy(treatment with anticancer drugs) is rarely effective.Radiation given in patients with tumour positive margin following wide local excision.For small tumours resection & reconstruction is relatively easy by using local musculocutaneous(Muscle & skin) flaps or mesh. But for big tumours a multidisciplinary team comprising of thoracic surgeons,plastic surgeons,neurosurgeons,oncologist etc.is needed to meet the challenge.

1) What Are Chest Wall Tumours?

Ans: These are tumours arising from the tissues of bone & muscle cage which makes the chest wall.

2) What Are The Types Of Chest Wall Tumours?

Ans: They are Primary(arising from tissues of the chest wall) or Secondary(originate elsewhere in the body & spread to the chest wall).

3) What Are The Symptoms Of Chest Wall Tumours?

Ans: Pain or soreness, Swelling, Protrusion as with a lump, Impaired movement or chest expansion etc.

4) How A Chest Wall Tumour Is Diagnosed?

Ans: After conducting a general exam an x-ray is advised. But x-rays tend to show only that there is an abnormality.. A CT or MRI scan can inform us about the location and size of the tumor, as well as give some information about its type.Then an aspiration biopsy or open biopsy is done to clinch its pathology.

5) What Are The Treatment Options For Chest Wall Tumour?

Ans: The options are Surgery(For both benign & malignant),Radiotherapy & Chemotherapy(For malignant tumours). In case of surgery prosthesis reconstruction or soft tissue replacement is done.

Gallery

Dissecting a LD flap
Planning a Latissimus Dorsi(LD) Flap in a patient of chest wall tumour