Malignant fibrous histiocytoma developing in bone 44 years after shrapnel trauma

Tumors induced by foreign bodies are uncommon in humans, but they are a relatively common occurrence in some experimental animals. The development of sarcoma in association with metallic foreign bodies has rarely been reported. The development of a malignant fibrous histiocytoma in a 65-year-old man 44 years after shrapnel fragments lodged in his left arm is described. The literature regarding metallic foreign body-induced cancer in humans is reviewed.