A proposed explanation for female predominance in alveolar soft part sarcoma

Recurrent peripartum alveolar soft-part sarcoma: Case report using CARE methodology

INTRODUCTION

Alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare malignant sarcoma with only a few cases reported in the sinus and head and neck region. It shows strong female predominance. Hormone-dependent recurrence was never reported.

CASE REPORT

A 35 year-old woman presented nasal cavity ASPS during her first pregnancy, middle-ear ASPS during the second, and a third ASPS in the sinus outside of any peripartum period, with unfavorable progression and metastasis, terminating in death.

DISCUSSION

Pathology analysis of the tumors showed positive immunolabeling for progesterone receptors in the two peripartum episodes. This was thus the first report of peripartum recurrence of ASPS with strong progesterone sensitivity, reinforcing the suspected biological link between ASPS and progesterone. This case report may be a preliminary finding suggesting progesterone blockers as a novel treatment for recurrent ASPS.

Alveolar soft tissue sarcoma: a report of 50 cases at a single institution

BACKGROUND

Alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare soft tissue sarcoma subtype, occurring mainly in young people, with poor prognosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of localized or metastatic ASPS patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (China) from 2012 to 2020, focusing on treatment and prognosis.

RESULTS

The median age at diagnosis was 24 years (range: 1.4-78 years). Women (n = 29, 58%), especially those aged <30 years, dominated this series. The most common metastasis site was lung. Thirty-one (62%) patients developed lung metastasis (localized: n = 9 [18%]; metastatic: n = 22 [44%]). Only a tumor maximum diameter ≥ 5 cm was associated with a high lung metastasis rate (p = 0.039). The mean follow-up time was 37.5 months (1-108 months), and the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 84.7%. Univariate analysis indicated that distant metastasis observed at the initial visit and incomplete resection of the primary tumor were associated with poor OS. For localized cases, neither surgery plus radiotherapy (p = 0.486) nor surgery plus chemotherapy (p = 0.536) improved progression-free survival compared to surgery alone. Among the metastatic cases, the disease control rate (PR + SD) was higher for targeted therapy (60%) and combined immunosuppressive therapy (100%) than for conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy (26%).

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy do not provide good local control for patients with localized disease. Although there is no standard treatment strategy for patients with advanced or metastatic disease, they can benefit from targeted therapy and/or immunosuppressive therapy.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma mimics prostate cancer metastasis

A 61-year-old man presented to the oncology clinic with Gleason 9 (4 + 5) prostate cancer. Staging CT showed multiple nodules in both lungs. Since the lung lesions were too small for biopsy, he was started on anti-androgen therapy for suspected metastatic, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. While his prostate-specific antigen decreased from 32 to <0.1 ng/ml, the multiple lung lesions showed no response on subsequent imaging. The patient presented during follow-up with severe right leg pain, at which time magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large, hyperintense mass in the femur. The mass was resected along with two lung nodules, with pathology demonstrating metastatic alveolar soft part sarcoma. This serves as an important reminder that lesions suspicious for metastases may be due to cancers of multiple primary origins, particularly if the pattern of metastasis is atypical or there is varied response to therapy.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma with multiple brain and lung metastases in pregnancy: A case report and literature review

RATIONAL

Alveolar soft part sarcomas (ASPSs) with multiple brain metastases in pregnancy is a rare entity.

PATIENT CONCERNS

We report our experience with a 19-year-old pregnant woman who presented with intermittent headaches and vomiting at 38 weeks gestation.

DIAGNOSES

The patient was initially diagnosed as brain metastasis according to computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) imaging.

INTERVENTIONS

Cesarean section and craniotomy (complete resection of both brain metastatic lesions) was performed sequentially.

OUTCOMES

A healthy baby girl was delivered safely and no neonatal malformations were found. Histological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of ASPS. Follow-up MRI performed 10 months after surgery revealed no residual tumor or signs of recurrence.

LESSONS

We report a case of ASPS with multiple brain and lung metastases in a pregnant woman. We recommend timely MRI examination for diagnosis and have discussed the approach to the treatment of pregnant women with brain metastasis.

Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma with Unusual Cardiac Metastasis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Alveolar soft part sarcoma is a very uncommon soft tissue malignancy which accounts for <1% of soft tissue sarcoma. It is a malignant and highly vascular tumor arising most commonly in the musculature of the lower extremities, with metastasis primarily to the lungs, bones, and brain. Cardiac metastasis is very rare and only 5 cases have been reported in the literature so far. We report a case of a young woman with a history of surgically resected alveolar soft part sarcoma of left thigh who presented with persistent dry cough and was found to have a cardiac mass, which on biopsy proved to be alveolar soft part sarcoma.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma metastatic to the mandible: A report and review of literature

Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare neoplasm constituting less than 1% of all soft tissue sarcomas. It tends to occur in the deep soft tissues of the lower extremities, however approximately 5-12% of cases are primary to the head and neck region. ASPS metastatic to the oral cavity is rare, with only four documented cases in the literature. Here, we present the case of a 29-year-old woman with ASPS metastatic to the mandible. To the best of our knowledge, this represents only the 5th documented case of ASPS metastatic to the oral cavity, and more specifically, the 3rd documented case of mandibular metastasis.

Alveolar soft-part sarcoma in the left forearm with cardiac metastasis: A case report and literature review

Alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS) is an uncommon soft-tissue neoplasm, which is commonly found in the deep soft tissues of the extremities, with a propensity for recurrence and metastasis. However, the metastasis of ASPS to the heart is exceedingly rare. The present study reports such a rare case with cardiac metastasis. Using computed tomography, a 37-year-old man was diagnosed with brain, lung and spleen metastases from a previously treated ASPS in the left forearm. Cardiac metastasis was then diagnosed 1 month later. Despite chemotherapy and palliative whole-brain radiotherapy, the patient succumbed to the disease shortly after. This case suggests that the widespread metastases and cardiac involvement of ASPS may result in a poor outcome.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma-radiologic patterns in children and adolescents

BACKGROUND

Alveolar soft part sarcoma is a rare but highly malignant tumour and little is known about its radiologic pattern in children.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the radiologic features of alveolar soft part sarcoma in children and adolescents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analysed the clinical and imaging data of six children age 7-17 years at diagnosis, with histologically or genetically proven alveolar soft part sarcoma.

RESULTS

The tumours were located deep within muscles of the limbs (n = 4), in chest wall muscle (n = 1) and in the orbit (n = 1). High-flow feeding arteries, large drainage veins and intense enhancement were consistent findings by all imaging modalities. At MRI, all tumours demonstrated high signal intensity on T2-weighted images and high or iso-intense signal on T1-W imaging compared to muscle. In tumours larger than 70 mm in one dimension (n = 3/6), large vessels converging toward the tumour centre led to a highly vascularised central stellar area pattern. Five children demonstrated synchronous (n = 4/5) and metachronous (n = 1/5) lung metastases.

CONCLUSION

Alveolar soft part sarcoma should be suggested when a highly vascularised, intramuscular mass demonstrating large feeding and drainage vessels converging toward a central stellar area is seen in children, especially if synchronous lung metastases are present.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma 'revisited': clinicopathological review of 47 cases from a tertiary cancer referral centre, including immunohistochemical expression of TFE3 in 22 cases and 21 other tumours

BACKGROUND

Alveolar soft part sarcoma accounts for 0.5-1.0% of soft tissue sarcomas in the United States. At our Hospital, it constitutes 1.8% of the newly diagnosed soft tissue sarcomas. Lately, TFE3 has been found to be a useful immunohistochemical marker for diagnosing this sarcoma.

METHODS

We reviewed 47 cases of alveolar soft part sarcoma that were either treated at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India, or were referred in consultation from various parts of India. TFE3 immunohistochemical staining was performed on 22 alveolar soft part sarcomas and on 21 other tumours.

RESULTS

Unlike most other large series, 58% of patients were males and 40% were females. The ages ranged from 2 to 54 years (median 24 years). Tumours were located in the deep soft tissues of lower extremities (54%), upper extremities (13%), head and neck (11%), retroperitoneum (10%), chest wall (6%), pelvis (4%), and were positive for TFE3 (20/22, 91%), desmin (3/18, 16%), myoglobin (1/6, 17%) and smooth muscle actin (1/9, 11%). TFE3 was positive in tumour controls that comprised paragangliomas (3/4), translocation related renal cell carcinoma (1/1), adrenocortical carcinoma (1/3) and granular cell tumour (1/3). Treatment consisted of primary surgical excision, metastatectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Seven tumours (24%) recurred locally and 21 of 29 (72%) metastasised, mainly to the lungs. Follow-up information (5-108 months, median 27.5 months) was available for 22 patients. No patients died in the relatively short follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

TFE3 is a useful immunohistochemical marker for diagnosis of an alveolar soft part sarcoma. Awareness of other tumours expressing TFE3 is vital. Alveolar soft part sarcoma has a high metastasis rate but relatively good short-term survival. Surgical excision with follow-up forms the present management.

Pediatric soft tissue sarcomas

After a brief discussion of the rarity of soft tissue sarcomas in children and of the limited ability of magnetic resonance imaging to provide a tissue diagnosis, this article discusses the incidence, presentation, treatment, prognosis, and imaging characteristics of the more common and unusual pediatric soft tissue sarcomas. It begins with extensive discussion of rhabdomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, and congenital/infantile fibrosarcoma. It then presents a more abbreviated discussion of uncommon tumors such as alveolar soft part sarcoma, epithelioid sarcoma, extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma, granulocytic sarcoma, hemangiopericytoma, liposarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, and undifferentiated sarcoma.

Transcription factor E3 and transcription factor EB renal cell carcinomas: clinical features, biological behavior and prognostic factors

PURPOSE

Translocation renal cell carcinomas represent a distinct clinicopathological entity. Studying the natural history, biological behavior and potential prognostic factors are crucially warranted.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We selected 54 patients with renal cell carcinoma with positive nuclear transcription factor E3 and transcription factor EB expression from the Juvenile RCC Network. Recurrence-free survival and overall survival were assessed.

RESULTS

Median patient age was 24 years (range 1 to 64) and the male-to-female ratio was 1:1.4. At diagnosis 35 patients (65%) had local disease while 19 (35%) presented with distant metastases. The latter patients were older (median age 36 years) and predominantly male (male-to-female ratio 2) whereas the former group had a median age of 16 years and a male-to-female ratio of 1:2.5. Overall 36 patients underwent complete tumor resection and of these 8 had recurring cancer. On univariate analysis only lymph node involvement and American Joint Committee on Cancer stage were associated with poor recurrence-free survival. When stratified according to lymph node status age 25 years or older was found to predict relapse (p = 0.03). With a median followup of 19.2 months (range 1 to 58) 3-year overall survival was 14.3% in patients with distant metastasis and 70.6% in those without distant metastasis. Distant metastasis developed in the 2 patients with ASPSCR1-TFE3 fusion vs 1 of 11 with other fusion genes.

CONCLUSIONS

Transcription factor E3 and transcription factor EB renal cell carcinoma display different clinical behavior according to gender and age. Lymph node involvement represents the only factor that predicts recurrence. ASPSCR1-TFE3 might be the most aggressive among the transcription factor E3 fusion genes.

Oral metastasis of alveolar soft-part sarcoma: a case report and review of literature

Alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare malignant neoplasm with uncertain histogenesis and with a distinctive morphology. It has been described in the oral cavity, but this is the first report of ASPS metastasizing to the maxillary tuber region. A 27-year-old male patient, who was under chemotherapy treatment for ASPS of the thigh, presented in our dental clinic with a painless and pedunculated nodule on the right tuber maxillae. The nodule was erythematous with smooth and lobular surface, measuring 3 cm in maximum diameter. An incisional biopsy was performed and the diagnosis of metastatic ASPS was made. Histologically, the tumor was characterized by a proliferation of polyhedral cells in pseudoalveolar pattern. Tumor cells were large, showing granular cytoplasm, periodic acid-Schiff positive diastase-resistant intracytoplasmic material, and vesicular nuclei with prominent nucleoli. Unfortunately, the patient died 2 months after the diagnosis of the oral metastasis. Metastases of ASPS to the mouth are very rare and indicate a poor prognosis.

Alveolar soft-part sarcoma of the tongue: report of a case and review of the literature

Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) accounts for less than 1% of all sarcomas. More frequently encountered within the lower limbs, the authors present a 24-year-old male with ASPS presenting as an asymptomatic swelling of the lateral tongue. At 12 months post wide local excision of the lesion, the patient remains well with no evidence of local or regional recurrence. Histological and immunohistochemical features are diagnostic of ASPS. Whilst rare, head and neck surgeons should be aware of ASPS as a potential cause of slow growing lesions, as early surgical resection is vital in view of the propensity for metastatic spread.

Primary cardiac alveolar soft part sarcoma. A report of the first observed case with molecular diagnostics corroboration

A case of primary alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) of the heart is reported in an 11-year-old female as 1 of 16 cases of ASPS presenting in the first 2 decades of life in our institutional 17-year review period. The classic alveolar or organoid pattern was inconspicuous as compared to a more diffuse or formless pattern consisting of a population of uniform round cells with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm, but in addition there was a second, minor population of gigantiform tumor cells with a variety of unusual shapes. Scattered tumor cells contained dense eosinophilic condensations in the cytoplasm. Other unusual features for ASPS in our case included a lymphohistocytic reaction and zonal necrosis. Immunohistochemistry revealed nuclear reactivity for TFE3, and the ASPL-TFE3 fusion transcript was identified by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. The only other examples of ASPS involving the heart were 3 cases in the literature of metastatic disease from tumors arising in the soft tissues. This initial case of primary cardiac ASPS joins the list of other types of sarcomas in children that have been reported as primary neoplasms of the heart.

[Aggressive course of a malignant alveolar soft tissue sarcoma]

Alveolar soft part sarcoma is a rare soft tissue tumor. Most patients who are affected by this sarcoma are between 15 and 35 years old. The tumor is characterized by its uncommon location of metastasis. Publications concerning this sarcoma subform are rare and the best therapeutic procedure is not yet clear. Surgical excision, radiation and chemotherapy are performed, whereas complete surgical excision achieves the best results in long-term follow-up. We report a patient's history who rapidly died of his sickness despite the low initial tumor stage.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma

This article provides an overview of the pathology of alveolar soft part sarcoma, focused on its morphology, special stains useful in diagnosis, and the clinical and radiographic features of the disease. Alveolar soft part sarcoma is a rare neoplasm of unknown histogenesis with poor prognosis. Although there are several immunohistochemical stains available to help reach the diagnosis, the morphology of the tumor should be considered the main diagnostic feature. The periodic acid-Schiff stain is the best single stain that supports the diagnosis.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma: a rare and enigmatic entity

Alveolar soft part sarcoma is a rare malignant tumor with unusual clinical behavior. Treatment of alveolar soft part sarcoma has been difficult to evaluate because of the small numbers of cases seen, but it seemed that although treatment of the primary tumor in alveolar soft part sarcoma often is successful, treatment of metastatic tumors is unsuccessful. A review of outcome after treatment of primary and metastatic disease in the 15 patients in our database with alveolar soft part sarcoma was done in order to evaluate this issue. Nine of 15 patients presented with metastatic disease and one further patient developed metastases. Treatment of primary tumors involved surgical excision in all but one patient and radiation in all patients. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to one patient with localized disease and to six patients with metastatic disease. There were no local recurrences. Treatment of metastatic tumors involved chemotherapy in seven patients, metastectomy in three patients, and radiation in two patients. All instances of the metastatic disease either recurred or progressed. Overall survival was 75% at 5 years and 40% at 10 years with a mean survival of 6.5 years, despite the high number of patients with metastatic disease. Current treatment results in good local control of primary tumors, but poor control of metastatic tumors. New approaches to treatment of metastatic alveolar soft part sarcoma must be investigated and applied.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic study, Level IV-1 (case series). See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.