Metastatic Tumours of the Hand

Abstract

Six metastatic tumours of the hand are reported. Five were located in long bones of the hand and one in the soft tissues without bone involvement. The primary tumours arose in the lung, kidney, hard palate, larynx and pharynx. Treatment was palliative and consisted of amputation for distal lesions and local excision and/or radiation for proximal lesions when symptomatic. Short-term prognosis was poor with a median survival of 7 months. In two patients, hand metastases were the first sign of malignant disease.