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Treatment for Hemangiopericytoma

As with other forms of cancer, when doctors deal with hemangiopericytoma, they prefer to treat it in as early as possible. In treatment for hemangiopericytoma, the focus is on the total removal of the tumor before it can spread.

  1. The Facts

    • Hemangiopericytoma is a rare form of vascular tumor that can occur in infants, adolescents and adults. It can be benign or malignant. Malignant forms of hemangiopericytoma often form near or in bones and can spread throughout a patient's body. When a hemangiopericytoma forms in an infant, it will often regress on its own without any medical intervention. For older patients, treatment is required to prevent cancer from spreading and includes surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

    Surgery -- Amputation

    • If a hemangiopericytoma develops on a limb, and during its growth incorporates nerve tissue, bone and blood vessels, a surgeon might not be able to remove it completely or cleanly. In severe cases, amputation can be the only treatment option to ensure the cancer will not metastasize throughout the patient's body. This extreme treatment for hemangiopericytoma is used only when other options are not feasible or have been tried and have failed.

    Surgery -- Limb Salvage

    • If a hemangiopericytoma does not involve nerves or blood vessels, then a surgeon might choose to remove it surgically and try to save the patient's affected limb. During this type of surgery the tumor and surrounding tissue are removed. Patients who receive this treatment for hemangiopericytoma usually require extensive rehabilitation therapy to regain the function of their limb. There is a chance that the cancer will return and that the limb could need to be amputated at a later date.

    Chemotherapy

    • Chemotherapy has proven to be an effective treatment for hemangiopericytoma. For invasive tumors that cannot be surgically removed, it is often the first form of treatment a doctor will try. Children with hemangiopericytomas have responded well to chemotherapy treatment. Chemotherapy can be used on its own. It can also be used to shrink a tumor before removing it surgically.

    Radiation

    • Radiation can be used on its own as a treatment for hemangiopericytoma, targeting a large primary tumor. It is more commonly used in combination with surgery. Radiation can be used before surgery to reduce the size of the tumor that needs to be removed. It can also be used after surgery to remove any lingering traces of the hemangiopericytoma.

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