Syndrome-Associated Tumors by Organ System

Use of an open partial laryngectomy technique for a massive laryngeal leiomyosarcoma in a 40-year-old man with functional preservation postoperatively

Laryngeal cancers are one of the most common head and neck malignancies and can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Although they most commonly originate from squamous cell carcinoma, there are multiple different pathologies that can arise. We present a patient with an atypical presentation of a glottic mass for which final pathology revealed a leiomyosarcoma (LMS). We report the first case in the English literature of a large bulky LMS that was removed entirely through a partial vertical laryngectomy and pharyngectomy, with maintained swallow and speech function postoperatively.

Drug Repurposing for Rare Diseases

Currently, there are about 7000 identified rare diseases, together affecting 10% of the population. However, fewer than 6% of all rare diseases have an approved treatment option, highlighting their tremendous unmet needs in drug development. The process of repurposing drugs for new indications, compared with the development of novel orphan drugs, is a time-saving and cost-efficient method resulting in higher success rates, which can therefore drastically reduce the risk of drug development for rare diseases. Although drug repurposing is not novel, new strategies have been developed in recent years to do it in a systematic and rational way. Here, we review applied methodologies, recent accomplished progress, and the challenges associated in drug repurposing for rare diseases.