Solitary Fibrous Tumor

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are soft tissue growths. They can occur anywhere in your body, but they most commonly develop in the lining around the outside of your lungs.

Some solitary fibrous tumors grow slowly and don’t spread (noncancerous), and some grow quickly and do spread (cancerous). Although most solitary fibrous tumors are benign (noncancerous), healthcare providers recommend surgery or another treatment to remove them.

What are other names for solitary fibrous tumors?

Experts once believed that solitary fibrous tumors only affected the chest cavity. They called these tumors, “benign fibrous tumors of the pleura.” Benign means the tumor isn’t cancerous. Pleura is the protective tissue that lines your chest wall. This tissue covers and protects your lungs. It also produces a lubricating fluid that helps your lungs move smoothly inside your chest when you breathe.

These days, healthcare providers rarely use the term “benign fibrous tumors of the pleura.” We now know that these tumors can form in your organs, head and neck, and other parts of your body — not just the pleura.

What’s the difference between solitary fibrous tumors and pleural mesothelioma?

Pleural mesothelioma causes cancerous tumors to form in your pleura. Exposure to asbestos is the main cause of this cancer.

Solitary fibrous tumors aren’t related to asbestos, are cancerous less often and can also be seen elsewhere in the body (while mesothelioma is typically in the lungs and pleura). SFTs have no known cause.

Who is at risk for solitary fibrous tumors?

These tumors most commonly appear in people who are 50 to 60 years old. They affect men or people assigned male at birth (AMAB) and women or people assigned female at birth (AFAB) equally. Solitary fibrous tumors are uncommon in children.

How rare is a solitary fibrous tumor?

Solitary fibrous tumors are rare. They account for less than 2% of all soft tissue tumors.

What parts of the body do solitary fibrous tumors affect?

A solitary fibrous tumor may form in your:

• Connective tissue surrounding your brain and spinal cord.
• Liver.
• Lungs and pleura.
• Paranasal sinuses inside your nose.
• Soft tissue within the bony socket (orbit) that holds your eyes.
• Thyroid.

How rare is a solitary fibrous tumor?

Solitary fibrous tumors are rare. They account for less than 2% of all soft tissue tumors.