What Are The Complications Of Nerve Sheath Tumor?

Malignant type of peripheral nerve sheath tumors are rare forms of cancer and it takes place within the nerves lining extending from spinal cord into your body. Doctors call these types of tumors as neurofibrosarcomas/sarcomas i.e. cancerous types of tumors.

Malignant type of nerve sheath tumor may take place at almost every part of a human body. However, it mainly takes place within deep tissues of the trunk, legs and arms. These tumors cause weakness and pain in the affected area/areas and even form a mass or a lump. Furthermore, in case of sarcoma swelling or lump formation within the soft tissue of a patient’s body beneath his/her skin may increase in size and is often bigger than 5centimeter to create many other problems.

Doctors consider surgery as the most preferable treatment to cure malignant peripheral nerve tumors. However, in some of the cases, they may even recommend for chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

What Are The Complications Of Nerve Sheath Tumor?

Strong reasons to cause complications of the nerve sheath tumor are:

Based on research studies conduct by worldwide neurologists, nerve sheath tumors even though they initially remain in benign form create various complications to make it a complicated one. These include-

Previous Radiation Therapy Done To Cure Cancer: In some of the patients, malignant form of peripheral nerve sheath tumors develop in the specific area, which undergone treatment with radiation therapy. This complication takes place after about 10 years or 20 years after you undergo with your treatment.

Noncancerous Nerve Tumors: Malignant type of peripheral nerve sheath tumors may often develop from benign or noncancerous type of nerve tumors, including the problem of neurofibroma.

Inherited Condition: Other than previous treatment, like for instance radiation therapy treatment and from benign nerve tumors, complications of malignant type of peripheral nerve sheath tumors take place frequently in individuals with an inherited condition referred as neurofibromatosis.

Complications Of Nerve Sheath Tumors Based On Further Cancer Grades And Stages

Tests and scans are responsible to determine both the stage and the grade of nerve sheath tumors and associated cancer problems. Especially, doctors rely on biopsy report of a patient to determine his/her cancer grade or stage.

Grades in Detail

Low Grade: Low grade indicates that the cancer cells are of slow-growing type and they appear more or less similar to any normal cell. In addition, as they are of less aggressive, they spread less likely.

Intermediate Grade: Intermediate cancer/tumor grade indicates slightly faster growth of cancer cells and they appear as relatively more abnormal.

High Grade: High grade indicates fast growing cancer cells. These cells even appear highly abnormal and are of aggressive, because of which they spread fast across different parts of one’s body.

Stages in Detail

Stage 1: Stage 1 indicates low grade or small cancer i.e. less than 5centimeters and it does not spread to any other part of the patient’s body.

Stage 2: Stage 2 indicates any grade of cancer but is often large as compared to the first stage. However, it does not spread to any other part of the patient’s body.

Stage 3: Even though stage 3 indicates high-grade cancer, it fails to spread to any other body part.

Stage 4: Stage 4 or last stage indicates of any size or grade but it spreads to almost every other body parts in patients.

Complications Based On Recurrence Of Nerve Sheath Tumor Or Cancer

Malignant type of tumor or cancer, also known as sarcoma cancer may reappear or recur in same area post treatment of the previous tumor. Doctors often call it local recurrence.

Conclusion

According to the key aspects mentioned here about complications based on different conditions, like radiation therapy, conversion from benign to malignant one, stages and/or grades and recurrence, we can say that complications depend on individual conditions related to nerve sheath tumor.

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Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:December 11, 2018

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