Hemangiopericytoma

Hemangiopericytoma is a rare tumor that grows in the body’s soft tissue, which includes fat, muscles, tendons, nerves, blood vessels and other fibrous tissue.

• In a baby, this condition is called "infantile myofibromatosis," and the tumors typically go away on their own.
• In adolescence, the tumor can be benign or malignant; it’s often found in bones, but can spread to the teenager’s lungs.
• In the United States, about 900 children and adolescents are diagnosed with soft-tissue tumors each year.

The latest research from Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center

Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center researchers are conducting numerous research studies that will help clinicians better understand and treat soft-tissue sarcomas. Innovative types of treatment currently being studied include:

• Angiogenesis inhibitors — substances that may be able to prevent the growth of tumors by blocking the formation of new blood vessels that feed the tumors.
• Biological therapies — a wide range of substances that may be able to involve the body's own immune system to fight cancer or lessen harmful side effects of some treatments.