RANKL, OPG, TRAIL, KRas, and c-Fos expression in relation to central lymph node metastases in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Purpose: RANKL, OPG and TRAIL have long been pursued in cancer. Mutated KRas proteins and c-Fos overexpression - well-recognized oncogenic events - have been conceived as coordinators of RANKL, OPG and TRAIL pathways. Considering the paucity in the relevant literature, the purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the expression of these molecules configures a distinct papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) subgroup with adverse clinicopathological characteristics.

Parachordoma. A case report of a very rare soft tissue tumor.

An extremely rare and peculiar soft tissue tumor is described. Few examples of this tumor are classified under the term parachordoma, while probably many more are designated as chordoid sarcomas. The tumor presents histological features similar to those of chordoma, as well as to extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcomas (chordoid sarcomas), and should also be differentiated from chondroid syringoma or mixed tumor of the skin.