Talk:Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor

Errors in this article

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I've received permission from Kelly Martin to post her comment in another forum here:

"I do occasionally look at Wikipedia after I finish doing my research, just to see what is there. In the case of [wparticle]Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor[/wparticle], the article materially misstates the survivability rates by lumping together several different categories of tumor with very distinct presentations and characteristics. Articles written professionally for laypeople honestly state that survivability is highly variable and difficult to predict due to the very low incidence of this class of tumors. Articles written professionally for practitioners give much more specific information, identifying factors (e.g. tumor size, tumor location, whether the tumor is rhabdomyoblastomatous) that allow the practitioner to reasonably advise their patients and their families as to the likely prognosis. The Wikipedia article mentions that rhabdomyoblastomatous tumors have a different name, but does not note that this is the single most significant factor in predicting survivability. In addition, the Wikipedia article is inconsistent with generally accepted practice guidelines, as published in 2012, which reflects the fact that all but one of the sources to the Wikipedia article are at least seven years old. (No excuse, though; they're also inconsistent with this well-balanced article for practitioners, from 2006.) The article's statements about the use of chemotherapy and radiotherapy are inconsistent with current best practice; recent clinical evidence has indicated that chemotherapy is problematic in patients with neurofibromatosis as chemotherapy agents may exacerbate existing benign neurofibromas (a critical fact that the article only hints at).

"I'm seriously glad I read the NIH material before I read this article; I would have been far less sanguine for the chances of my son living to see his next birthday had I read the Wikipedia article first. And I am even more glad that my son's doctors don't rely on Wikipedia for medical advice."

Anthonyhcole (talk · contribs · email) 16:51, 9 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]

I rewrote a lot of this article. I appreciate that somebody put this together, but there were many errors. I hope my edits help move this forward. - surgical pathologist — Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.250.20.5 (talk) 19:26, 31 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]

  • I tagged this article as accuracy disputed. Please talk to the above projects and task forces, they might be more active than this talk page. Please do not blank any sourced stuff. Thanks. Ubba abba (talk) 19:36, 31 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Ancient research

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In 1944 a cohort of individuals in Denmark was identified as having Neurofibromatosis type I. In 1986 a study found that 47% of the tumors found in this cohort were nervous tissue tumors. Through some game of telephone, an editor reading this 2007 study citing the 1986 study has characterized the results on Wikipedia as:

About half of these cases also happen to occur along with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1), which is a genetic mutation on the 17th chromosome which causes tumors along the nervous system.

But this is inaccurate. It would be accurate to say that about half of the tumors found in patients with NF-1 occur in the central and peripheral nervous system, but this finding is ancient, limited, and irrelevant to the article on MPNSTs so I am removing it. ເສລີພາບ (talk) 18:21, 14 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]