Solitary Fibrous Tumors of the Pleura: Do we Need a Different Perspective on Malignancy?

This study aimed to evaluate the percentage of solitary fibrous pleural tumors presenting unfavorable clinical behavior as to predict negative long-term outcomes. Although historically considered benign neoplasms, this retrospective review identified 25 percent of 74 patients displayed histological evidence of malignancy as per England criteria and the recurrence rate was 21 percent. The authors recommended the pathological differentiation of these tumors into pedunculated, well circumscribed, and sessile growth patterns. They also recommended that all nonpedunculated lesions should be classified as potentially aggressive.