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Query: UMLS:C0027627 (metastases)
 103,950 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Cytogenetic and molecular analysis of soft tissue tumors has yielded a wealth of information over the past decade. Some of the genetic aberrations that have been identified appear to be fairly specific for individual tumor types. It is because of this specificity that these findings harbor the promise to become useful as diagnostic and/or prognostic markers. Technical advances that allow the application of cytogenetic and molecular techniques to archival material have been crucial in this respect. Molecular genetics has already become an integral part of the work-up of some tumors, e.g., small cell sarcomas of childhood, which demonstrate fairly characteristic translocations, often involving the Ewing's sarcoma gene. Some genetic abnormalities have become established as prognostic markers, such as the deletion of the short arm of chromosome 1 for neuroblastomas. Soft tissue tumor pathology has also benefitted from major advances in identifying genes that are critical in mesenchymal differentiation or cell cycle control. MyoD is a good example of a such a gene, that has become useful as a diagnostic tool in rhabdomyosarcomas. Beyond potential practical applications of cytogenetic and molecular analyses in the diagnosis of these tumors, we also review their impact on several philosophical concepts concerning soft tissue neoplasia.
Cancer Metastasis Rev 1997 Jun
PMID:The clinical role of molecular genetics in soft tissue tumor pathology. 915 87

A follow-up investigation of 25 cases of extraskeletal osteosarcomas diagnosed at the Center for Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, in the period from 1970-1995 was undertaken. The immunohistochemical profile of these tumors was evaluated using a panel of 10 antibodies, and the value of alkaline phosphatase staining in differential diagnostic situations also was considered. The study revealed that this tumor is high-grade malignant and affects adults (median age, 67 years; range, 35-82 years) at diagnosis. The thigh (52%) was the most common tumor location. Seven tumors were superficial, whereas the remaining 18 were intramuscular. Two patients with superficial tumors previously received radiation to the area. Local recurrences developed in 9 (36%) patients and distant metastases developed in the lungs in 15 (60%) patients as the most common site. Median survival time was 24 months, and the cause-specific survival rate at 5 years was less than 25%. Thirteen (52%) intramuscularly located extraskeletal osteosarcomas were of the fibroblastic subtype, often with sparse amounts of osteoid. They could be separated from malignant fibrous histiocytoma on the basis of a strongly positive alkaline phosphatase reaction. Immunohistochemistry did not reveal characteristic features because positivity for vimentin, occasional positivity for desmin, actin, S-100, epithelial membrane antigen, cytokeratin, and p-53 may be observed in many other pleomorphic sarcomas. Various histopathologic factors, such as tumor size, tumor depth, histopathologic subtype, malignancy grade (IIIA versus IIIB), MIB-1, and p53 reactivity were analyzed in relation to clinical course. Only MIB proliferation was correlated to prognosis, with significantly longer survival in patients with tumors with MIB-1 values less than 24%. Our study has shown extraskeletal osteosarcoma to behave in a highly aggressive fashion. Alkaline phosphatase staining compared with immunohistochemistry proved to be superior in the differentiation from other pleomorphic sarcomas.
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PMID:Extraskeletal osteosarcomas: a clinicopathologic study of 25 cases. 959 29

Superficial, especially cutaneous soft tissue tumors deserve attention because of their special biology, often with better prognosis than their deep counterparts. This fact also has been considered in the TNM Classification/UICC, as well as in the Typing of Soft Tissue Tumors/WHO.-Basically all types of soft tissue tumors can also be found in subcutaneous and cutaneous localisation. Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, however, is a typical superficial tumor involving cutis and frequently the superficial subcutis. Superficial leiomyosarcoma and atypical fibroxanthoma are examples of sarcomas, which in spite of histological criteria, which generally are associated with high grade malignancy, behave as low grade malignant tumors, i.e. chiefly with risk of recurrency albeit negligible risk of metastases. Angiosarcoma and epitheloid sarcoma, on the other hand, may also metastasize, even if restricted to the cutis. Here histological criteria as numerous mitoses, cellular atypia and tumor necrosis, may additionally influence the prognosis. In conclusion it is evident that exact tumor classification is the basic requirement for an optimal, prognosis-adapted therapy. Prerequisite, however, is a precise clinico-pathological correlation to understand the biology of the different tumor entities.
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PMID:[Cutaneous and subcutaneous soft tissue tumors]. 1009 23