What Do Growth On Sternum Indicate?

Posted on Sat, 18 Oct 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 18 Oct 2014 Answered on

Tue, 4 Nov 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : My 85 year old mother is developing growths on her sternum. They are shaped like little - maybe I inch long- calcium hooks. She had breast cancer when she was in her 40's and had radiation treatments. Have you ever heard of anything like this?

Answered by Dr. Shafi Ullah Khan (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
benign chest wall mass needs evaluation

Detailed Answer:
Thank you for asking

Anterior chest wall masses are usually benign and providing your mother history of breast cancer and radiation and the current status of hook shaped calcium deposition benign sternal malignancies can not be ruled out. Some possibilities are sternal chondrosarcoma, enchondroma and fibroma etc.

It needs histopathological evaluation and a wide local excision. Trust me it's a benign process and nothing to worry about.

Just get a thoracic surgeon and let them take it from here.

I hope it helps. Take good care of yourself and don't forget to close the discussion please.

May the odds be ever in your favour.
Regards XXXXXXX

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar