Chest Wall Tumors

The chest wall refers to the structures surrounding and protecting the lungs, enclosed by the spine, and separated from the abdomen by the diaphragm. These structures include a myriad of tissues, including cartilage, bone, muscle, fascia, vasculature, lymphatic vessels, fat, and skin. Tumors of the chest wall subdivide into two categories, primary and secondary. Primary chest wall tumors arise from muscle, fat, blood vessel, nerve sheath, cartilage, or bone of the chest wall. Secondary chest wall tumors can be from direct invasion of breast carcinoma or lung carcinoma or metastases from a distant site of origin.