Chest Wall Tumor

Introduction

Chest wall tumor refers to all new growths of the chest wall and can be categorized into 3 main types: bone structure tumor, soft tissue tumor, and skin tumor. It can be primary or metastatic from tumors in other parts of the body. Primary tumors can develop in any part of the chest wall’s structure or tissue, while secondary tumors are mostly found in the bone of the chest wall. Although secondary tumors may occur in other areas of the chest wall, such instances are not common.

Causes

The cause of primary chest wall tumors remains unclear, while secondary tumors are almost always due to the spread of malignant tumors from other parts of the body. This can lead to localized damage or pathological fractures of the ribs, resulting in pain.

Symptoms

The symptoms of chest wall tumor vary based on the tumor’s location, size, type, growth rate, as well as its relationship with surrounding tissues and organs. Common symptoms include localized pain and tenderness on palpation. Some patients may also experience coughing and breathing discomfort. Additionally, in the middle and late stages of the disease, complications such as pathological fractures and pleural effusion may occur.

Diagnostic Methods

Diagnosis involves assessing the patient’s clinical manifestations and physical signs, along with imaging examinations such as X-ray, chest CT scan, whole body radionuclide bone scan, PET-CT and 3D reconstruction.

Surgical Treatment

Surgery for chest wall tumor primarily involves 2 key steps: tumor resection and chest wall reconstruction.

Tumor resection: For resectable chest wall tumors, surgical removal is the primary treatment approach. This involves the resection of the tumor along with surrounding tissues to ensure complete eradication. The scope of the surgery can range from partial resection of the chest wall tumor to rib resection, or even more extensive removal, depending on the tumor's size and location.

Chest wall reconstruction：After resecting the chest wall tumor, a large defect often remains in the chest wall, necessitating the use of reconstructive materials and flap techniques to rebuild the bone structure, soft tissue, and skin of the chest wall. This aims to maintain the integrity of the chest wall as much as possible, restore its physiological functions, and achieve a normal and pleasing chest wall appearance. The variety of reconstructive materials includes traditional metals and autologous materials (such as bones, muscle tissue, and fat tissue from the patient's body), as well as many emerging synthetic materials, like MatrixRIB and customized digital material.