A malignant fibrous histiocytoma is a type of cancerous tumor that can start in either bone or, most often, in the soft tissues that connect, support or surround organs and other body parts. Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center provides comprehensive medical and surgical care for children and adolescents with benign or malignant bone and soft tissue tumors.
The condition is a painless mass that most often turns up in the extremities, although it can occur anywhere in the body. It most commonly spreads (metastasizes) to the lungs, but can also invade the lymph nodes and bone. The cause is unknown but has been linked to genetics, radiation treatment and inherited diseases.
Malignant fibrous histiocytoma is among the most common types of soft tissue tumors found in adults but is rarely found in children. Treatment may include surgery along with radiation and/or chemotherapy. The tumor can come back.
