Management of Primary Soft Tissue Tumors of the Chest Wall

Primary chest wall tumors are rare and represent a challenging clinical entity. Preoperative work-up includes a thorough history, radiographic imaging, and a biopsy approach that does not make a future definitive resection more difficult. Treatment decisions are based on tumor histology, stage, local aggressiveness, and responsiveness to chemotherapy and radiation. Wide excision is the foundation of treatment of most malignant primary chest wall tumors. The role of radiation therapy in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting is to reduce local recurrence. The use of adjuvant chemotherapy is more controversial. For most primary chest wall malignancies, margin-negative resection remains the best chance of cure.