[Chordoma: is there a molecular basis for diagnosis and treatment?]

Chordoma: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of Clinical Trials

This systematic review aims to characterize ongoing clinical trials and therapeutic treatment options for chordoma, a rare notochordal remnant tumor that primarily affects the cranial base, mobile spine, and sacrum. While radical surgical resection remains the cornerstone for chordoma management, unique technical challenges posed by its proximity to critical neurovascular structures confer a tendency towards disease recurrence which often requires additional treatment modalities. In an attempt to better understand the current treatment landscape, a systematic review was designed to identify clinical trials directed at chordoma. A total of 108 chordoma trials were identified from four clinical trial databases; fifty-one trials were included in the final analysis, of which only 14 were designated as completed (27.5%). Aggregate data suggests most chordoma interventions are repurposed from other neoplasms that share common molecular pathways, with a recent emphasis on combination therapeutics within and across drug classes. Naturally, the publication and dissemination of clinical trial results remain a concern (n = 4, 28.6%), highlighting the need for enhanced reporting and transparency measures. Active clinical trial efforts are quite promising, with a renewed focus on novel biotherapeutic targets and deciphering the natural history, as well as survivorship of this complex disease.

Cordoma Sacral: Relato de uma Rara Neoplasia Maligna

Introdução: O cordoma é um tipo de sarcoma cuja malignidade óssea primária se origina da notocorda e se localiza no eixo espinhal entre o clivus e o sacro. A primeira descrição dessa patologia foi em 1857. Na epidemiologia da doença, são mais afetados pacientes entre 40 e 60 anos, sendo o principal sítio de acometimento a região sacrococcígea. O quadro clínico é variável conforme o local acometido com sintomas geralmente inespecíficos, gerando atrasos no diagnóstico feito por biópsia. Entre as opções de tratamento, o principal método é a ressecção cirúrgica com margens, que pode ser associada à radioterapia ou à radiocirurgia quando necessário; os sítios de metástases mais comuns são pulmões, ossos, fígado e linfonodos locais. Relato do caso: Paciente, sexo feminino, 62 anos, iniciou com quadro de dor em região coccígea com piora ao sentar-se e surgimento de lesão nodular com crescimento progressivo recebendo diagnóstico de cordoma, após biópsia da lesão, depois de três anos. Em razão da lesão extensa, optou-se inicialmente por tratamento com quimio e radioterapia para citorredução. Pela pouca responsividade, foi submetida ao tratamento de sacralectomia com sucesso, porém apresentou como complicação deiscência de ferida operatória e necessidade de reabordagem, desde então sem recorrência no seguimento clínico. Conclusão: Assim, evidencia-se a necessidade de novas pesquisas sobre o cordoma, um tumor raro e de baixa responsividade aos tratamentos não cirúrgicos, visando a melhorar a terapêutica quimioterápica dessa neoplasia potencialmente deformante.

Bibliometric analysis of the global research trends and hotspots in chordoma from 2000 to 2020

INTRODUCTION

Chordoma is formed from embryonic residues or ectopic chordae and locally aggressive or malignant tumors. We visually analyzed the research tendency and hotspot of chordoma.

METHODS

The bibliometric analysis was conducted from the Web of Science Core Collection database over the past two decades. The term and strategies were as follows: "TS = (chordoma) OR TS = (chordoblastoma) OR TS = (chordocarcinoma) OR TS = (chordoepithelioma) OR TS = (chordosarcoma) OR TS = (notochordoma). AND Language: English. AND Reference Type: Article OR Review". A total of 2,118 references were retrieved and used to make a visual analysis by VOSviewer 1.6.15.

RESULTS

The chordoma was on a steady rise and chordoma but remained the focus of scholars and organizations over the last two decades. The Chinese institutions and scholars lacked cooperation with their counterparts in other countries. The citations of documents and co-citation analysis of cited references suggested that M.L. McMaster, B.P. Walcott, P. Bergh, and S. Stacchiotti were leading researchers in this field of chordoma and their papers had been widely accepted and inspired recent researches. Keywords associated with recent chemotherapy, PD-1-related immunotherapy, and SMARCB1/integrase interactor 1 (INI1) in chordoma were a shortage of research and there may be more research ideas in the future by scholars. The research of chordoma will continue to be the hotspot.

CONCLUSIONS

Thus, explaining the molecular mechanism and potential role of transcriptional inhibition and immunologic responses to SMARCB1/INI1-negative poorly differentiated chordoma will be available for preclinical experiments and clinical trials and lead to new therapeutic opportunities for chordoma patients.

PTEN is recognized as a prognostic-related biomarker and inhibits proliferation and invasiveness of skull base chordoma cells

Objective

This work aimed to examine the function of phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) in skull base chordoma (SBC) at the clinical and cellular levels.

Methods

Totally 65 paraffin-embedded and 86 frozen specimens from 96 patients administered surgery were analyzed. Immunohistochemical staining and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were performed, and the associations of PTEN expression with clinical features were assessed. At the cellular level, PTEN was knocked down by the siRNA approach in the UCH-1 cell line, and cell proliferation and invasion were detected by the CCK-8 and migration assays, respectively.

Results

At the protein level, PTEN expression was increased in non-bone-invasive tumor samples in comparison with bone-invasive specimens (p = 0.025), and elevated in soft SBCs in comparison with hard tumors (p = 0.017). Increased PTEN protein expression was associated with decreased risk of tumor progression (p = 0.002; hazard ratio = 0.981, 95% confidence interval: 0.969–0.993). At the gene expression level, the cut-off value was set at 10.5 after ROC curve analysis, and SBC specimens were divided into two groups: PTEN high group, ΔCt value below 10.5; PTEN low group, ΔCt value above 10.5. In multivariate regression analysis of PFS, the risk of tumor progression was increased in PTEN low group tumors in comparison with PTEN high group SBCs (p = 0.006). In the CCK-8 assay, in comparison with control cells, PTEN knockdown cells had increased absorbance, suggesting elevated cell proliferation rate. In the invasion assay, the number of tumor cells penetrating into the lower chamber was significantly increased in the PTEN knockdown group compared with control cells.

Conclusions

Decreased PTEN expression in SBC, at the protein and gene levels, is associated with reduced PFS. PTEN knockdown in chordoma cells led to enhanced proliferation and invasiveness.

An Unusual Chordoma of the Odontoid Process: A Case Report and Literature Review

The aim of this study is to present a rare case of chordoma in the odontoid process in which the tumor involved the odontoid process and compressed the spinal cord at the craniocervical junction. We report on the effectiveness and successful outcome of anterior microscopic tumor resection combined with posterior occipitocervical fixation and review the current standard treatment. A 39-year-old man presented with sudden dyspnea and quadriparesis caused by an unknown tumor compression at C2. Radiographic examination revealed a large destructive mass at C2 and heterogeneous enhancement. The patient received urgent surgical intervention by microscopic-assisted anterior tumor resection and posterior spinal fixation from the occiput to the C5 level. The pathohistologic reports for cytokeratins, epithelial membrane antigen, and S-100 protein were positive. The final diagnosis was chordoma of the odontoid process. At the 2-year follow-up, the patient's condition had improved, and a postoperative MRI showed no indication of tumor regrowth. Chordoma of the odontoid process or C2 body is very rare. The current standard management is wide tumor resection to prevent recurrence. The combined approach of anterior tumor resection with microscopic assistance and posterior stabilization of the occiput to C5 is the optimal treatment for this condition.

A rare case of chordoma presenting as a Pancoast tumor

The notochord is the defining structure of all chordate embryos. It is a midline structure ventral to the ectoderm, neural plates, and neural arch. Remnants of the notochord ultimately give rise to the nucleus pulposus. The function of the notochord is to organize the surrounding structures. Chordoma is a rare malignant bone tumor arising from remnants of the notochord. These tumors are indolent and can present as incidental or locally advanced involving adjacent structures. These tumors typically present at the skull base and sacral spine but more rarely can be seen on the cervical and thoracic spine. Rare cases of chordoma invading the brachial plexus have been recorded. Surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment for chordomas. We would like to discuss a novel presentation of a chordoma as a Pancoast tumor, and aim to highlight the clinical importance of accurate diagnosis and planning therapy along with poor prognosis of incomplete surgical resection.