Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors

Results of surgical treatment of patients with malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors: a retrospective and prospective study

Background. Peripheral nerve sheath malignancies (PNSM) are a rare and aggressive group of sarcomas that can occur sporadically, after radiation therapy, or related to neurofibromatosis type 1. Loss of function of NF1, TP53, and CDKN2A genes is thought to contribute to the progression of benign neurofibroma to PNSM and is a poor prognostic sign. The optimal management of patients with this disease is currently unresolved, and specific prognostic factors have not been established. Aim. To analyze the results of surgical treatment in patients with PNSM and establish prognostic factors of overall and recurrence-free survival rate. Materials and methods. The retrospective and prospective studies enrolled adult patients with histologically confirmed PNSM treated between 1998 and 2021 at the N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center for Oncology. Surgical intervention was performed on 61 patients, 38 (62%) females and 23 (38%) males. The most common PNSM localization was paravertebral (22 [36%] patients), followed by retroperitoneal (14 [23%] patients), and upper and lower extremities (13 [21%] and 12 [20%] patients, respectively). Results. For PNSM patients with a history of surgery, the median overall survival (OS) was 46 months (95% confidence interval 26.165.9). The 3-year and 5-year OS was 46% and 31%, respectively. The median recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 27 months (8.745.3), and 3-year and 5-year RFS was 26% and 13%, respectively. Median OS for grade 1 malignancies was not achieved, while grade 2 and grade 3 malignancy was 53 and 33 months, respectively (p=0.033). The median RFS for grade 1, 2, and 3 tumors was 119, 43, and 15 months, respectively (p=0.078). Patients who underwent radical (R0) surgery had higher RFS (p=0.006) and OS (p0.0001). After radical (R0) surgery, the median OS was not achieved; after nonradical (R1/R2) surgery, the median was 34 months. The median RFS was 124 months after R0-resection and 48 months after R1/R2. Conclusion. The most significant prognostic factors in PNSM patients are the radicality of the surgery performed and the malignancy grade. In our study, tumor size and localization did not affect the long-term treatment results.

Mediastinal tumours and pseudo-tumours: a comprehensive review with emphasis on multidisciplinary approach

The diagnosis of a mediastinal mass may be challenging for clinicians, since lesions arising within the mediastinum include a variety of disease entities, frequently requiring a multidisciplinary approach. Age and sex represent important information, which need to be integrated with imaging and laboratory findings. In addition, the location of the mediastinal lesion is fundamental; indeed, we propose to illustrate mediastinal diseases based on the compartment of origin. We consider that this structured approach may serve as hint to the diagnostic modalities and management of mediastinal diseases. In this review, we present primary mediastinal tumours in the evolving context of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools, with recently described entities, based on our own experience with >900 cases encountered in the past 10 years.

Given the mediastinal anatomical heterogeneity, the correct positioning of mediastinal lesions becomes primal, in order to first establish a clinical suspicion and then to assist in planning biopsy and surgical procedurehttps://bit.ly/3p0gsk3

Advanced pharmacological therapies for neurofibromatosis type 1-related tumors

Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant tumor-predisposition disorder that is caused by a heterozygous loss of function variant in the NF1 gene, which encodes a protein called neurofibromin. The absence of neurofibromin causes increased activity in the Rat sarcoma protein (RAS) signalling pathway, which results in an increased growth and cell proliferation. As a result, both oncological and non-oncological comorbidities contribute to a high morbidity and mortality in these patients. Optic pathways gliomas, plexiform neurofibromas and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) are the most frequent NF1-associated tumors. The treatment of these complications is often challenging, since surgery may not be feasible due to the location, size, and infiltrative nature of these tumors, and standard chemotherapy or radiotherapy are burdened by significant toxicity and risk for secondary malignancies. For these reasons, following the novel discoveries of the pathophysiological mechanisms that lead to cell proliferation and tumorigenesis in NF1 patients, emerging drugs targeting specific signalling pathways (i.e. the MEK/ERK cascade), have been developed with promising results.

Identification of a novel fusion transcript EWSR1-VEZF1 by anchored multiplex PCR in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor

The aim of the study is to describe a novel genetic finding examining the molecular and pathological features of a case of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor occurring in the thigh of a 17-year-old male. Fusion gene detection using a next-generation sequencing-based anchored multiplex PCR technique (Archer FusionPlex Sarcoma Panel) was used to identify the novel fusion of EWSR1-VEZF1 from the frozen tumor sample. EWSR1-VEZF1 fusion is a novel molecular gene rearrangement involving exon 8 of the EWSR1 gene and exon 2 of the VEZF1 gene. Data were validated with gene sequencing and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. This case report describes a novel rearrangement involving EWSR1 on chromosome 22 and VEZF1 on chromosome 17. The result obtained demonstrates the value of the next-generation sequencing-based anchored multiplex PCR technique (Archer FusionPlex Sarcoma Panel) both in diagnosis and patient care and might become a helpful diagnostic tool for this tumor type.