HMGA1 is a structural epigenetic chromatin factor that has been associated with tumor progression and drug resistance. Here, we reported the prognostic/predictive value of HMGA1 for trabectedin in advanced soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) and the effect of inhibiting HMGA1 or the mTOR downstream pathway in trabectedin activity. The prognostic/predictive value of HMGA1 expression was assessed in a cohort of 301 STS patients at mRNA (n = 133) and protein level (n = 272), by HTG EdgeSeq transcriptomics and immunohistochemistry, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecurrent gene fusions (GFs) in translocated sarcomas are recognized as major oncogenic drivers of the disease, as well as diagnostic markers whose identification is necessary for differential diagnosis. is a 'promiscuous' gene that can fuse with many different partner genes, defining different entities among a broad range of mesenchymal neoplasms. Molecular testing of translocation traditionally relies on FISH assays with break-apart probes, which are unable to identify the fusion partner.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors demonstrated activity in terms of progression-free survival (PFS) in advanced dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DD-LPS), a sarcoma with CDK4 amplification. CDK4 overexpression is by far more common than amplification in sarcomas and it might be a rational target for CDK inhibitors. Preclinical investigators of this study found that CDK4 overexpression, while not of CDKN2A, was the most consistent predictive factor for palbociclib efficacy in sarcomas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aims: Myxoid liposarcoma is classified in the group of sarcomas with adipose differentiation, which is the second most common group of sarcomas. However, myxoid liposarcoma is not a homogeneous entity, because the behavior and clinical course of these tumours can vary widely. This study aimed to describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of myxoid liposarcomas and to determine whether the MRI features are associated with the histologic grade and can differentiate between low-grade and high-grade tumours and thus help in clinical decision making.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRisk stratification of solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) patients based on clinicopathological features has limited efficacy, especially in predicting late relapse or metastasis. The hallmark alteration of SFT is the gene fusion , whose prognostic value remains controversial. As biological knowledge of this entity has increased in recent years, new molecular alterations have emerged that could be helpful to refine current risk models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe authors noticed that content of "Conflicts of Interest" in the original version [...
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aims: Myxoid liposarcoma is classified in the group of sarcomas with adipose differentiation, which is the second most common group of sarcomas. However, myxoid liposarcoma is not a homogeneous entity, because the behavior and clinical course of these tumors can vary widely. This study aimed to describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of myxoid liposarcomas and to determine whether the MRI features are associated with the histologic grade and can differentiate between low-grade and high-grade tumors and thus help in clinical decision making.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma requires the integration of the information generated from numerous techniques, some of them being very sophisticated. However, the first steps of the diagnostic process are crucial to achieve the maximum possible diagnostic performance. In this chapter we will review how to handle the diagnostic specimen from its collection, how to prepare it for diagnosis, how to make a complete pathology report, and provide guidance for the reasonable use of immunohistochemical techniques in this malignancy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSymptomatic control and tumoral shrinkage is an unmet need in advanced soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) patients beyond first-line. The combination of trabectedin and radiotherapy showed activity in a recently reported clinical trial in this setting. This retrospective series aims to analyze our experience with the same regimen in the real-life setting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Solitary fibrous tumour is an ultra-rare sarcoma, which encompasses different clinicopathological subgroups. The dedifferentiated subgroup shows an aggressive course with resistance to pazopanib, whereas in the malignant subgroup, pazopanib shows higher activity than in previous studies with chemotherapy. We designed a trial to test pazopanib activity in two different cohorts of solitary fibrous tumour: the malignant-dedifferentiated cohort, which was previously published, and the typical cohort, which is presented here.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFYAP1 and TAZ (WWTR1) oncoproteins are the final transducers of the Hippo tumor suppressor pathway. Deregulation of the pathway leads to YAP1/TAZ activation fostering tumorigenesis in multiple malignant tumor types, including sarcoma. However, oncogenic mutations within the core components of the Hippo pathway are uncommon.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis commentary addresses the issue of the classification of sarcomas in the article written by Watson and colleagues published recently in this journal. The article delves into the molecular characterization and distinct phenotypes of some recently described entities (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrimary bone neoplasms represent a rare and heterogeneous group of mesenchymal tumours. The prevalence of benign and malignant tumours varies; the latter (sarcomas) account for less than 0.2% of all malignant tumours.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Patients with relapsed unresectable osteosarcoma represents an unmet need, so active and safe systemic treatments are required. Fas cell surface death receptor and mammalian target of rapamycin pathways are implicated in progressing osteosarcoma, and we had preclinical and clinical experience with a scheme that targets both pathways. Therefore, we designed a phase II trial with gemcitabine plus rapamycin, to determine the efficacy and safety, in this subset of patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDOG1 is a highly-sensitive marker often included in the immunohistochemical panel for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Recent research has shown that DOG1 may also be expressed by low-grade fibromyxoid sarcomas (LGFMSs); this may give rise to diagnostic error when the sarcoma is located in the abdominal cavity. This paper reports on immnohistochemical expression of DOG1 in 19 LGFMSs using two different monoclonal antibodies: K9 (Leica, Novocastra Laboratories, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK) and SP31 (Thermo Scientific, Freemont, USA).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWilms tumour (WT) is the most common renal tumour in children. Most WT patients respond to chemotherapy, but subsets of tumours develop resistance to chemotherapeutic agents, which is a major obstacle in their successful treatment. Multidrug resistance transporters play a crucial role in the development of resistance in cancer due to the efflux of anticancer agents out of cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe first large series of desmoplastic small round cell tumor was reported twenty-five years ago. This article reviews the original characterization of this neoplasm, and the eventual expansion of its clinical and pathological spectrum. Relevant data on its molecular features are summarized, in order to understand the search for therapeutic targets.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe acronym FAVA (Fibro-Adipose Vascular Anomaly) has been recently given to a distinct vascular entity that is characterized by fibrofatty infiltration of muscle, unusual phlebectasia with pain, and contracture of the affected extremity. We report a new case of FAVA in a 10-year-old girl with pain in her right lower leg and equinus contracture. As in our case, FAVA typically presents in young females with calf involvement and limited ankle dorsiflexion with local pain.
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