Correct!
4. Solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura is associated with asbestos exposure
Previously and incorrectly referred to as “benign mesothelioma,” solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura, also often referred to as localized fibrous tumor of the pleura, is not associated with asbestosis exposure, unlike malignant pleural mesothelioma. Most solitary fibrous tumors of the pleural are benign, although the reported rates of malignancy or malignant degeneration vary from 7% to 60%, with most reports indicating a malignancy rate well less than 50%. Many patients with solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura are asymptomatic, with the lesion discovered incidentally. Local symptoms may occur when the lesions reach a large size. Solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura has been associated with pulmonary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy in 4-35% of patients. Hypoglycemia, due to elaboration of an insulin-like growth factor (IGF-II) by the tumor, is said to occur in 5% or less of patients with solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura. The tumor arises from the visceral pleura in more than 70% of patients, and the tumor is often pedunculated. Solitary fibrous tumors have been reported in a number of other organ systems both within and outside the thorax.
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