Metastatic extragonadal seminoma associated with cardiac transplantation

Testicular myeloid sarcoma: a relapse of acute myeloid leukaemia after allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation- a rare presentation

Myeloid sarcoma is an uncommon pathological diagnosis of proliferation of blasts of one or more of the myeloid lineages in regions other than the blood and bone marrow. Myeloid sarcoma of the testis after allogeneic bone marrow stem cell transplantation is very rare and only few cases are reported in the literature. It is usually misdiagnosed as malignant lymphoma, particularly with large cell lymphoma, due to similar histological morphology. Due to difficulty in diagnosis, it is suggested that an appropriate panel of immunohistochemical marker studies be performed in conjunction with clinical correlation to avoid misleading diagnosis and improper treatment of patients. We report an interesting case of a 49-year-old man with a diagnosis of acute myelogenous leukaemia. He had undergone allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, achieved complete molecular remission and later relapsed with myeloid sarcoma of the testis.

Potential application and prevalence of the CD30 (Ki-1) antigen among solid tumors: A focus review of the literature

BACKGROUND

CD30 (Ki-1) is a cell membrane protein derived from the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family. The CD30 antigen has been associated primarily with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL). Brentuximab vedotin (BV) is an antibody-drug conjugate targeting the CD30 antigen. FDA approval for BV includes relapsed and refractory HL and sALCL. The CD30 antigen also has been identified in many solid tumors, predominantly of germ cell origins and early clinical data is promising.

OBJECTIVE

Perform a focus literature review evaluating the prevalence of the CD30 antigen among nonlymphomatous tumors with a potential correlate for CD30 targeted therapy.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Inclusion criteria: all retrospective reviews and case reports citing CD30 positivity or negativity in non-lymphomatous malignancies in which data were presented based on location.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

studies with hematopoetic malignancies, cutaneous malignancies, non-human populations, and non-english publications.

INCLUDED STUDIES

A total of 119 articles met these criteria and are summarized in this manuscript.

CONCLUSION

The CD30 antigen has shown variable prevalence among non-hematopoetic tumors, most notably among germ cell tumors and mesothelioma. With additional, preclinical and properly powered clinical studies, CD30 targeted therapy such as that of BV, alone or in combination with other agents may prove to be a strong candidate in the treatment of various CD30⁺ malignancies.

A case report of mediastinal seminoma arising after renal transplantation

Recipients of organ transplantation on immunosuppressive medications are at increased risk for developing de novo malignancies, including skin cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma, in situ carcinomas of the uterine cervix, anogenital cancers, renal cell carcinoma, and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD). However, there are few case reports of germ cell tumors after organ transplantation. There are some case reports of testicular seminoma, but not mediastinal seminoma. This case report is the first description of a mediastinal seminoma that developed de novo 28 months after renal transplantation and that was initially diagnosed as PTLD. To improve outcomes of organ transplant recipients, it is important to report rare cases of malignancies arising while on immunosuppressive medications. When we detect mediastinal tumor arising after organ transplantation while on immunosuppressive therapy, diseases other than PTLD should be considered in the differential diagnosis.

Management of solid tumours in organ-transplant recipients

Malignancy is a well-recognised complication of transplantation and can occur de novo, as a recurrence of a pre-existing malignancy, or from transmission of malignancy from the donor. Common de-novo malignancies are those of the skin and the lymphoreticular system. Various solid-organ cancers have also been reported in transplant recipients and each poses a unique management challenge in view of the unusual setting. We review solid-organ cancers in transplant recipients and their management, including surveillance and prevention.

Genitourinary malignancies in solid organ transplant recipients

Malignancy is a recognized complication of transplantation. Genitourinary cancers are the second most common tumors in transplant recipients with prostate cancer and renal cell carcinoma the most common. Unlike the more common skin malignancies, genitourinary tumors have a significant impact on both graft and patient survival. Surgical and radiation treatments need to consider the location of heterotopic transplants and administration of chemotherapy may need alteration in light of immunosuppression being used. The major genitourinary malignancies and their management will be reviewed in this article with emphasis on the concerns that arise in a transplant recipient.

Incidence of cancer after immunosuppressive treatment for heart transplantation

Prolonged or intensive immunosuppressive therapy used after organ transplantation is complicated by an increased incidence of cancer. Striking differences in incidence are observed in heart and heart-lung transplant recipients when compared with renal transplant patients. The most significant increase was in the incidence of lymphomas in cardiac versus renal patients. Moreover, a two-fold greater increase of all neoplasms was found in cardiac recipients, with nearly a six-fold increase in visceral tumors. Several factors may account for these differences. In cardiac allograft recipients, intensive immunosuppression is frequently used to reverse acute rejection and the highest number of cardiac transplants was performed in the era of polypharmacy, usually consisting of triple therapy.

Chloroma of the Testis After Allogeneic Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation: A Case Report

Chloroma, or granulocytic sarcoma, is a rare extramedullary solid hematologic cancer that affects many sites, usually in concert with acute myeloid leukemia. It is infrequently associated with other myeloproliferative disorders or chronic myelogenous leukemia. Chloroma of the testis after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is particularly sparsely represented in the literature. It is often incorrectly diagnosed as malignant lymphoma, especially large-cell lymphoma, owing to the similarity of the histologic morphology, scanty eosinophilic myelocytes, and no or overlooked history of leukemia. Although erroneous diagnosis is decreasing with the advent of ancillary studies, the diagnosis of chloroma continues to be a nightmare for pathologists. It is thus suggested that an appropriate panel of marker studies be performed in conjunction with clinical correlation and circumspection to avoid reaching a misleading conclusion and improper treatment of patients. We report an interesting case of a 35-year-old male with a clinical history of chronic myelogenous leukemia post allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation and complete molecular remission, who was found to have chloroma of the left testis.

De novo malignancies and liver transplantation

INTRODUCTION

De novo tumors (DNTs) are the leading cause of late death among liver transplant recipients with an incidence of 5% to 15%, which is significantly greater than the general population. In this retrospective study, we compared this complication in liver transplant recipients to sex- and age-matched controls.

PATIENTS

Among 410 patients who received liver allografts between March 1986 and December 2000, 32 (7.8%) developed a DNT. Epidermoid tumors were the most frequent histologic lineage. A complete response was observed in 19 patients (59.4%), a partial response in eight (25%), and no response in five (15%). Survival was lower among liver transplant recipients than controls, a difference that was statistically significant. Treatment consisted of surgery in 76.7%, radiotherapy in 16.7%, chemotherapy in 13.3%, and reduction of immunosuppression in 10%.

RESULTS

The mean survival time in transplant patients of 122.97 months (95% CI; range 98-147 months) was significantly shorter than controls, 156.5 months (95% CI; range 141-171 months). About 50% of patients were smokers (active or ex-smokers), compared to 20.7% of controls (P=.049). Significant differences were also found when the three subgroups (smokers, previous smokers, and nonsmokers) were analyzed separately (P=.013). Patients were smokers (active or nonactive) among 45% of cases of skin tumors; 60% of hematological tumors; 71.4% of epidermoids; and 33% of sarcomas.

CONCLUSIONS

DNTs, a complication of long-term immunosuppression in patients after liver transplantation, most frequently presented as skin tumors and PTLD. Occurrence of a DNT was an adverse prognostic factor for survival. Smoking represents an independent risk factor for these tumors.