title: Malignant fibrous histiocytoma: a retrospective study of 167 cases.
abstract: A retrospective study of 167 patients with soft-tissue malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the trunk, extremities, and retroperitoneal region revealed twice as many deeply situated tumors as superficial tumors. Malignant fibrous histiocytoma may be subclassified into fibrous, giant-cell, myxoid, and inflammatory variants. The fibrous variant accounted for two-thirds of the lesions. The prognosis is no different among the histologic subtypes. The depth of the tumor significantly affects survival, and three important groups were identified: superficial tumors, superficial tumors that recur in deep locations, and deeply situated tumors. The group with superficial tumors that subsequently did not recur in deep locations had a significantly better 4-year survival rate than did the other two groups (65% versus 34% and 40%, respectively). Patients with distally located tumors had a better 5-year survival rate than did patients with proximally located tumors (73% versus 28%). Local recurrence was found in 51% of patients who had a "complete" excision. Patients with superficial tumors had a higher local recurrence rate (71%) than did those with deep tumors (41%). Few patients with retroperitoneal tumors were long-term survivors; the 5-year survival rate was 14%.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005121:Extremities; D005260:Female; D018219:Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy