Type 1 papillary renal cell carcinoma in a patient with schwannomatosis: Mosaic versus loss of SMARCB1 expression in respectively schwannoma and renal tumor cells

Diagnosis and open excision of concurrent pelvic schwannoma and chromophobe renal cell carcinoma

Schwannomas are tumors that commonly affect the nerve sheath, typically involving peripheral and cranial nerves. These tumors are rarely found within the pelvis and retroperitoneum. To date, there have been no documented cases of concurrent chromophobe renal cell carcinoma and pelvic schwannoma. We present the case of a 57-year-old female with a right renal mass significant for chromophobe renal cell carcinoma and a left pelvic mass found to be a schwannoma. This case highlights the importance of adding schwannoma to the differential when considering a pelvic mass in the setting of renal cell carcinoma.

SWI/SNF-deficient neoplasms of the genitourinary tract

Since the discovery of association of SMARCB1 mutations with malignant rhabdoid tumors and renal medullary carcinoma, mutations in genes of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex have been increasingly identified across a diverse spectrum of neoplasms. As a group, SWI/SNF complex subunit mutations are now recognized to be the second most frequent type of mutations across tumors. SMARCB1 mutations were originally reported in malignant rhabdoid tumors of the kidney and thought to be pathognomonic for this tumor. However, more broadly, recognition of typical rhabdoid cytomorphology and SMARCB1 mutations beyond rhabdoid tumors has changed our understanding of the pathobiology of these tumors. While mutations of SWI/SNF complex are diagnostic of rhabdoid tumors and renal medullary carcinoma, their clinical relevance extends to potential prognostic and predictive utility in other tumors as well. Beyond SMARCB1, the PBRM1 and ARID1A genes are the most frequently altered members of the SWI/SNF complex in genitourinary neoplasms, especially in clear cell renal cell carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma. In this review, we provide an overview of alterations in the SWI/SNF complex encountered in genitourinary neoplasms and discuss their increasing clinical importance.

Current recommendations for clinical surveillance and genetic testing in rhabdoid tumor predisposition: a report from the SIOPE Host Genome Working Group

The rhabdoid tumor (RT) predisposition syndromes 1 and 2 (RTPS1 and 2) are rare genetic conditions rendering young children vulnerable to an increased risk of RT, malignant neoplasms affecting the kidney, miscellaneous soft-part tissues, the liver and the central nervous system (Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumors, ATRT). Both, RTPS1&2 are due to pathogenic variants (PV) in genes encoding constituents of the BAF chromatin remodeling complex, i.e. SMARCB1 (RTPS1) and SMARCA4 (RTPS2). In contrast to other genetic disorders related to PVs in SMARCB1 and SMARCA4 such as Coffin-Siris Syndrome, RTPS1&2 are characterized by a predominance of truncating PVs, terminating transcription thus explaining a specific cancer risk. The penetrance of RTPS1 early in life is high and associated with a poor survival. However, few unaffected carriers may be encountered. Beyond RT, the tumor spectrum may be larger than initially suspected, and cancer surveillance offered to unaffected carriers (siblings or parents) and long-term survivors of RT is still a matter of discussion. RTPS2 exposes female carriers to an ill-defined risk of small cell carcinoma of the ovaries, hypercalcemic type (SCCOHT), which may appear in prepubertal females. RT surveillance protocols for these rare families have not been established. To address unresolved issues in the care of individuals with RTPS and to propose appropriate surveillance guidelines in childhood, the SIOPe Host Genome working group invited pediatric oncologists and geneticists to contribute to an expert meeting. The current manuscript summarizes conclusions of the panel discussion, including consented statements as well as non-evidence-based proposals for validation in the future.

Malignant progression of a peripheral nerve sheath tumor in the setting of rhabdoid tumor predisposition syndrome

Malignant progression of a benign or low-grade tumor in individuals with germline alteration of SMARCB1 gene is not well characterized. In a family in which two carrier children had germline SMARCB1 mutations and atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor, we report malignant progression of a nerve sheath tumor over a 7-year period in an affected adult family member. Prompt identification of the germline SMARCB1 alteration and the resultant rhabdoid tumor predisposition syndrome can help guide genetic counseling and surveillance in affected family members.

Hereditary SWI/SNF complex deficiency syndromes

The SWItch Sucrose non-fermentable (SWI/SNF) complex is a highly conserved multi-subunit complex of proteins encoded by numerous genes mapped to different chromosomal regions. The complex regulates the process of chromatin remodelling and hence plays a central role in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression, cell proliferation and differentiation. During the last three decades, the SWI/SNF complex has been increasingly recognized as a central molecular event driving the initiation and/or progression of several benign and malignant neoplasms of different anatomic origin and having diverse histomorphological appearance. Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT) and renal/extrarenal malignant rhabdoid tumors of childhood, epithelioid sarcoma and small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type (SCCOHT) represent the most commonly recognized SWI/SNF-driven neoplasms. Approximately one-third of pediatric malignant rhabdoid tumors are linked to germline SWI/SNF alterations (SMARCB1/INI1, rarely SMARCA4) resulting in occasional familial clustering of these highly aggressive malignancies (so-called rhabdoid tumor predisposition syndrome, RTPS, types 1 and 2, respectively). However, more recently, inherited SWI/SNF-deficiency has been linked to several benign syndromic tumors including a subset of familial schwannomatosis (linked to SMARCB1) and multiple meningiomas (linked to SMARCE1) as well as others. Beyond neoplasms, several congenital developmental functional disorders such as Coffin-Siris syndrome and intellectual disability are now known to be SWI/SNF-related. The latter are essentially not associated with SWI/SNF-driven neoplasms, although at least anecdotal cases have documented concurrence of both neoplastic and developmental disorders. This review summarizes the most important SWI/SNF-driven diseases with a main focus on neoplasms.

SWI/SNF-Komplex-assoziierte Tumordispositions-Syndrome

Die SWI/SNF(SWItch/Sucrose Non-fermentable)-Komplexe sind aus mehreren, je nach Geweben unterschiedlichen Untereinheiten zusammengesetzt und regulieren im Sinne von „Chromatin-(Re)Modeling“ ATP-abhängig die Zugänglichkeit von funktionellen DNA Elementen, wie Promotoren und Enhancern, für z. B. Transkriptionsfaktoren.

Keimbahnmutationen in den kodierenden Genen für die Untereinheiten SMARCB1, SMARCA4, SMARCE1 und PBRM1 des SWI/SNF-Komplexes sind mit einer Veranlagung für Tumorerkrankungen assoziiert. Keimbahnmutationen in SMARCB1 und SMARCA4 führen zu den Rhabdoidtumor-Prädispositions-Syndromen (RTPS) 1 bzw. RTPS2. Dies sind einem autosomal-dominanten Erbgang folgende Dispositionen für maligne Rhabdoidtumoren (RT) des Gehirns (AT/RT), der Nieren (RTK) und der Weichgewebe (MRT). Hinweise für ein RTPS sind eine frühe, z. T. schon pränatale Manifestation von RT, ein synchrones Auftreten mehrerer RT und eine positive Familienanamnese. Sporadisch auftretende RT weisen eine somatische Inaktivierung von SMARCB1 (oder selten SMARCA4) auf und sind im Vergleich zu auf einem RTPS beruhenden RT mit einer günstigeren Prognose assoziiert.

Keimbahnmutationen in SMARCB1 und SMARCA4 können unabhängig von einem RTPS auch zu anderen Tumoren führen. Keimbahnmutationen in SMARCA4 wurden bei Patienten mit der hyperkalzämischen Form von kleinzelligen Ovarialkarzinomen (small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type; SCCOHT) nachgewiesen. SMARCB1-Keimbahnmutationen wurden neben RT z. B. mit einer Schwannomatose assoziiert. Im Unterschied zu RT und SCCOHT ist für die Manifestation einer Schwannomatose ein Funktionsverlust von SMARCB1 in Kombination mit einem somatischen Verlust von NF2 erforderlich.

Die phänotypische Breite von SMARCB1-assoziierten Neoplasien geht auf Art und Lokalisation der Mutation zurück. Weiterhin spielt vermutlich der Zeitpunkt des „second hit“ eine Rolle, da die Empfindlichkeit für die Entwicklung eines RT bei biallelischer Inaktivierung von SMARCB1 in RT-Progenitorzellen wohl nur in einem kurzen Entwicklungszeitfenster gegeben ist.

The molecular pathogenesis of schwannomatosis, a paradigm for the co-involvement of multiple tumour suppressor genes in tumorigenesis

Schwannomatosis is characterized by the predisposition to develop multiple schwannomas and, less commonly, meningiomas. Despite the clinical overlap with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), schwannomatosis is not caused by germline NF2 gene mutations. Instead, germline mutations of either the SMARCB1 or LZTR1 tumour suppressor genes have been identified in 86% of familial and 40% of sporadic schwannomatosis patients. In contrast to patients with rhabdoid tumours, which are due to complete loss-of-function SMARCB1 mutations, individuals with schwannomatosis harbour predominantly hypomorphic SMARCB1 mutations which give rise to the synthesis of mutant proteins with residual function that do not cause rhabdoid tumours. Although biallelic mutations of SMARCB1 or LZTR1 have been detected in the tumours of patients with schwannomatosis, the classical two-hit model of tumorigenesis is insufficient to account for schwannoma growth, since NF2 is also frequently inactivated in these tumours. Consequently, tumorigenesis in schwannomatosis must involve the mutation of at least two different tumour suppressor genes, an occurrence frequently mediated by loss of heterozygosity of large parts of chromosome 22q harbouring not only SMARCB1 and LZTR1 but also NF2. Thus, schwannomatosis is paradigmatic for a tumour predisposition syndrome caused by the concomitant mutational inactivation of two or more tumour suppressor genes. This review provides an overview of current models of tumorigenesis and mutational patterns underlying schwannomatosis that will ultimately help to explain the complex clinical presentation of this rare disease.