Solitary Fibrous Tumor

Tests for solitary fibrous tumors depend on your symptoms and the tumor location. They may include:

• An eye exam, including optical coherence tomography (OCT) and visual field testing, to pinpoint the cause of vision problems.
• Imaging scans like X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds and PET scans to find tumors.
• A biopsy to determine the tumor type and whether it’s cancerous.

What are the World Health Organization (WHO) classifications of solitary fibrous tumors?

The WHO has a classification system for grading the severity of solitary fibrous tumors. A tumor grade indicates how fast or slow a tumor might grow based on how cells look under a microscope. It’s different from cancer stages, which refer to a cancer tumor’s location, size and spread (growth).

Tumor grades for solitary fibrous tumors range from I to III:

1. Grade I (low-grade): Low-grade tumors have mostly normal-looking cells. These tumors are the least aggressive type. They tend to grow slowly and may not cause symptoms.
2. Grade II (intermediate-grade): The cells in intermediate-grade tumors look more like abnormal cells than those in low-grade tumors. As a result, they’ll grow slightly faster than grade I tumors. They’re also more likely to become cancerous.
3. Grade III (high-grade): High-grade tumors contain mostly abnormal-looking cells. These tumors are aggressive and grow fast. They’re also more likely to come back, become cancerous and spread to other parts of your body.