The Impact of O6-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase () Promoter Methylation on the Outcomes of Patients with Leiomyosarcoma Treated with Dacarbazine.

Dacarbazine is an important drug in the therapeutic landscape of leiomyosarcoma (LMS). Alkylating agents are subjected to resistance mechanisms based on anti-apoptotic pathways and repair mechanisms, including the DNA repair enzyme O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (). In this retrospective study, the methylation status of the promoter in histological tumor samples from patients with LMS, dacarbazine-based regimens-treated, was measured and correlated with clinical outcomes aimed at optimizing the use of dacarbazine in soft tissue sarcomas.

Noncoding RNAs as circulating biomarkers in osteosarcoma patients.

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) identify a large family of RNAs that do not encode proteins and represent an important group of tumor biomarkers, directly involved in the process of tumor pathogenesis and progression. Many of them have also been identified in biological fluids of patients with cancer, especially blood, suggesting their role as an emerging class of circulating biomarkers. Many ncRNAs, both miRNAs and lncRNAs, are deregulated in sarcoma tissues, with the most consistent data in osteosarcomas.

Primary giant clear cell sarcoma (soft tissue malignant melanoma) of the sternum.

One case of a primary clear cell sarcoma of the sternum (also called soft tissue melanoma) is reported. This neoplasm represents a rare occurrence, and as a rule, differential diagnosis with melanoma often requires detailed immunohistochemistry and cytogenetic analysis (ie, rearrangement of EWS gene localized on 22q12 chromosome). Because wide resection is recommended, chest wall reconstruction may pose challenging technical issues.