Question: What are the treatments for Hemangioendothelioma ?
Answer: How might hemangioendothelioma be treated? Treatment for hemangioendothelioma may depend on the type of hemangioendothelioma present in the affected individual and the risk of recurrence or metastases. In most reported cases, surgical excision (removal) of the mass has been the only treatment. For spindle cell hemangioma, simple excision is reportedly curative; however, new growths develop in adjacent skin and soft tissues in 60% of affected individuals. For individuals with papillary intralymphatic angioendothelioma (PILA), excision of the involved lymph nodes, as well as the mass, has been recommended. Surgical excision is reportedly also the usual treatment for individuals with retiform hemangioendothelioma (although local recurrence with this type is common), epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, and composite hemangioendothelioma (with the exception of 1 case treated with interferon). Most individuals with pseudomyogenic hemangioendothelioma have been treated with simple excision, but a few individuals have also received post-surgical radiotherapy (RT). With regard to kaposiform hemangioendothelioma, some large lesions cannot be completely removed and may cause fatal complications due to the associated KasabachMerritt syndrome. In these cases, several medical therapies have been used, including systemic corticosteroids; alfa interferon; RT; embolization; and several other therapies, both alone and in various combinations. A study by Scott et al published in 2012 in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology evaluated the effectiveness of RT as either an alternative or adjunct to surgery. The authors stated that the effectiveness of definitive RT in the treatment of hemangioendothelioma in their study implies that radiation may be an acceptable alternative when surgical resection will compromise function or cosmetic result. They concluded that with no local recurrences and minimal risk of toxicity, their long-term data suggest that RT offers a highly effective management option for this disease.
Source: GARD