Classification of the Volume of Tumor Lesion of the Chest Wall as A Prerequisite for Planning Surgical Treatment

Abstract

Tumors of the chest wall are a heterogenous group of neoplasms per nosology, clinical progression, and treatment methods. Primary tumors of this location, according to some authors, comprise between 1 and 5 %, and 60 % of them are malignant. Tumors of the chest wall can have not only various nosological forms but also varying volume, location, affect different structures of the chest wall which are determined during physical exam. Despite the progress in drug therapy, radical surgical intervention is a prerequisite for successful treatment of patients with malignant tumors of the chest wall. One of the most important prognostic factors is sufficient margin during chest wall resection. The international tumor classification system Tumor, Nodus and Metastasis (TNM) does not give a complete understanding of the volume of lesions and therefore does not allow to correctly plan resection volume and defect reconstruction based on its data.The article presents a classification of tumor volume of the chest wall proposed by the Sarcoma Research Association which allows to expand indications for surgical treatment and select the optimal type of defect reconstruction.