Chemoradiotherapy with taxane is superior to conventional surgery and radiotherapy in the management of cutaneous angiosarcoma: a multicentre, retrospective study

Sustained activation of the FGF1-MEK-ERK pathway inhibits proliferation, invasion and migration and enhances radiosensitivity in mouse angiosarcoma cells

Angiosarcoma is a rare refractory soft-tissue tumor with a poor prognosis and is treated by radiotherapy. The fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) mutant, with enhanced thermostability due to several substituted amino acids, inhibits angiosarcoma cell metastasis, yet the mechanism of action is unclear. This study aims to clarify the FGF1 mutant mechanism of action using ISOS-1 mouse angiosarcoma cells. The wild-type FGF1 or FGF1 mutant was added to ISOS-1 cells and cultured, evaluating cell numbers over time. The invasive and migratory capacity of ISOS-1 cells was assessed by transwell analysis. ISOS-1 cell radiosensitivity was assessed by colony formation assay after X-ray irradiation. To examine whether mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) inhibitor counteracts the FGF1 mutant effects, a combination of MEK inhibitor and FGF1 mutant was added to ISOS-1 cells and cultured. The FGF1 mutant was observed to inhibit ISOS-1 cell proliferation, invasion and migration by sustained FGF1 signaling activation. A MEK inhibitor suppressed the FGF1 mutant-induced inhibition of proliferation, invasion and migration of ISOS-1 cells. Furthermore, the FGF1 mutant enhanced radiosensitivity of ISOS-1 cells, but MEK inhibition suppressed the increased radiosensitivity. In addition, we found that the FGF1 mutant strongly inhibits actin polymerization, suggesting that actin cytoskeletal dynamics are closely related to ISOS-1 cell radiosensitivity. Overall, this study demonstrated that in ISOS-1 cells, the FGF1 mutant inhibits proliferation, invasion and migration while enhancing radiosensitivity through sustained activation of the MEK-mediated signaling pathway.

Efficacy and safety of TM5614 in combination with paclitaxel in the treatment of paclitaxel-resistant cutaneous angiosarcoma: Phase II study protocol

Cutaneous angiosarcoma (CAS) is an endothelial cell-derived, highly aggressive type of vascular tumour. Although chemoradiotherapy with paclitaxel (PTX) is recognized as a first-line therapy for CAS, second-line therapy for CAS remains controversial, and there is no standard therapy for taxane-resistant CAS. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is associated with poor clinical outcomes, and elevated levels of PAI-1 in both tissue and serum are correlated with poor response to therapy in various cancers, including skin cancers. Since PAI-1 protects endothelial cells from Fas ligand-mediated apoptosis, PAI-1 inhibition might induce apoptosis of endothelial cell-derived tumours such as CAS. This is a single-arm, open-label, multi-institutional, Phase 2 clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of PTX in combination with TM5614 (PAI-1 inhibitor) in patients with PTX-resistant CAS. PTX will be administered for 28 weeks, with oral administration of TM5614. The primary endpoint of this study will be the overall response rate (ORR) at 28 weeks after starting treatment (central image evaluation). The secondary endpoint will include the ORR at 28 weeks after starting treatment (investigator evaluation), ORR at 8 weeks and 16 weeks after initiation of treatment (central and investigator evaluation), progression-free survival, overall survival, disease control rate and safety profiles. Assuming the null hypothesis of a response rate of 13.6% and an alternative hypothesis of 45%, a minimum of 15 patients are required to achieve a two-sided, Type I error of 5% and power of 70% based on the exact binomial distribution. Data quality control will be conducted by a combination of centralized (remote) and on-site monitoring. This study will contribute to the development of novel combination therapy for PTX-resistant CAS patients, which remains an unmet clinical need.

Current topics and management of head and neck sarcomas

Given the low incidence, variety of histological types, and heterogeneous biological features of head and neck sarcomas, there is limited high-quality evidence available to head and neck oncologists. For resectable sarcomas, surgical resection followed by radiotherapy is the principle of local treatment, and perioperative chemotherapy is considered for chemotherapy-sensitive sarcomas. They often originate in anatomical border areas such as the skull base and mediastinum, and they require a multidisciplinary treatment approach considering functional and cosmetic impairment. Moreover, head and neck sarcomas may exhibit different behaviour and characteristics than sarcomas of other areas. In recent years, the molecular biological features of sarcomas have been used for the pathological diagnosis and development of novel agents. This review describes the historical background and recent topics that head and neck oncologists should know about this rare tumour from the following five perspectives: (i) epidemiology and general characteristics of head and neck sarcomas; (ii) changes in histopathological diagnosis in the genomic era; (iii) current standard treatment by histological type and clinical questions specific to head and neck; (iv) new drugs for advanced and metastatic soft tissue sarcomas; and (v) proton and carbon ion radiotherapy for head and neck sarcomas.

Clinical Outcomes of Radiation Therapy for Angiosarcoma of the Scalp and Face: A Multi-Institutional Observational Study

Angiosarcoma of the scalp and face (ASF) is a rare, aggressive tumor often treated with multimodal therapy, including radiation therapy (RT). This study assessed RT outcomes for ASF and identified prognostic factors. Data from 68 non-metastatic ASF patients undergoing RT with or without other therapies were analyzed. Median radiation dose was 66 Gy in 33 fractions (interquartile range (IQR) 60-70 Gy in 28-35 fractions). Local control (LC), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) rates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Multivariate analyses and adverse event evaluation were conducted. Median patient age was 75 years (IQR 71-80 years), with a median follow-up of 17 months (IQR 11-42 months). One-/three-year LC rates were 57/37%, PFS rates were 44/22%, and OS rates were 81/44%. Multivariate analyses showed that an equivalent dose in a 2 Gy fraction (EQD₂) >66 Gy correlated with improved LC (HR 2.35, 95% CI 1.03-5.32, p = 0.041). Combining chemotherapy (HR 2.43, 95% CI 1.08-5.46, p = 0.032) or surgery (HR 2.41, 95% CI 1.03-5.59, p = 0.041) improved PFS. No factors influenced OS. Late grade 3+ toxicities occurred in 1%, with one patient developing a grade 4 skin ulcer. These findings suggest that EQD₂ > 66 Gy and combining chemotherapy or surgery can enhance LC or PFS in ASF. Further prospective studies are needed to determine the optimal treatment strategy for this rare malignancy, particularly in elderly patients.

Misdiagnosis of scalp angiosarcoma: A case report

BACKGROUND

Angiosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor. Owing to the lack of specific clinical manifestations of this disease, it is difficult to achieve early diagnosis and start early treatment.

CASE SUMMARY

A 78-year-old male patient was admitted to the hospital because of a bump on his head that did not heal for 4 mo. The patient was diagnosed with a refractory head wound. The patient underwent neoplasm resection and skin grafting surgery in the Plastic Surgery. The neoplasm was sent for pathological examination during the operation. The final pathological results were confirmed scalp angiosarcoma.

CONCLUSION

Our research suggests that pathological examination should be performed for refractory ulcers of the scalp, and physical factor therapy should be used with caution before the diagnosis is clear.

Treatment for taxane-resistant cutaneous angiosarcoma: A multicenter study of 50 Japanese cases

Cutaneous angiosarcoma (CAS) is a rare and highly aggressive type of vascular tumor. Although chemoradiotherapy with taxanes is recognized as a first-line therapy for CAS, second-line therapy for CAS remains controversial. From the above findings, the efficacy and safety profiles of taxane-switch (change paclitaxel to docetaxel or vise), eribulin methylate, and pazopanib regimens in second-line chemotherapy were evaluated retrospectively in 50 Japanese taxane-resistant CAS patients. Although there was no significant difference in progression-free survival (P = 0.3528) among the regimens, the incidence of all adverse events (AEs) (P = 0.0386), as well as severe G3 or more AEs (P = 0.0477) was significantly higher in the eribulin methylate group and pazopanib group than in the taxane-switch group. The present data suggest that switching to another taxane should be considered for the treatment of taxane-resistant CAS in second-line therapy based on the safety profiles.

Cutaneous angiosarcoma treated with taxane-based chemoradiotherapy: A multicenter study of 90 Japanese cases

Cutaneous angiosarcoma (CAS) is rare and most previous studies of CAS have been small case series, and randomized, phase II studies of CAS are limited. Since treatment options for CAS are controversial, and because only paclitaxel should be recommended based on high-level evidence, it is important to evaluate the efficacy of another taxane-derived agents, docetaxel, in real-world practice. The efficacy and safety profiles of chemoradiotherapy using taxane-based agents, docetaxel and paclitaxel, were retrospectively examined in the maintenance setting in 90 Japanese CAS patients, including 35 docetaxel-treated cases and 55 paclitaxel-treated cases. Overall survival and dose duration time of the patient group treated with docetaxel was equivalent to that with paclitaxel, even in the cohorts with metastasis. Adverse events due to docetaxel and paclitaxel were observed in 77.1% and 69.1% of cases, respectively. The incidence ratio of total severe adverse events tended to be higher in the docetaxel-treated group (40.0%) than in the paclitaxel-treated group (23.6%). Peripheral neuropathy occurred only in the paclitaxel-treated group, whereas high-grade interstitial pneumonia developed only in the docetaxel-treated group. In addition, we also evaluate 19 patients selected other taxanes, 17 patients selected eribulin methylate, 11 patients pazopanib, and 2 patients selected nivolumab as second-line chemotherapy. The efficacy of a monthly docetaxel regimen is equivalent to a three-weekly paclitaxel regimen evaluated by Overall survival and DDT, even in the cohorts with metastasis, and it is a tolerable protocol for CAS as a maintenance therapy in the Japanese population.

Cutaneous Angiosarcoma of the Head and Neck-A Retrospective Analysis of 47 Patients

Simple Summary

Cutaneous angiosarcoma (CAS) is a rare sarcoma with dismal prognosis. To better characterize this disease and elucidate potential treatments that improve overall survival (OS), we conducted a retrospective study exploring clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of 47 patients with CAS of the head and neck treated at a tertiary academic center. We found that CAS continues to have a poor prognosis with high rates of recurrence even with current treatment modalities. Surgery was highly effective in improving OS in patients with disease that could be resected with low morbidity. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy (RT), and immunotherapy did not significantly improve OS. Our findings shed light on the current landscape of clinical characteristics and treatment of CAS and could prompt further research exploring new treatment options and role of immunotherapy in the management of this difficult disease.

Abstract

Cutaneous angiosarcoma (CAS) is a rare and aggressive malignant tumor with blood vessel or lymphatic-type endothelial differentiation. It has a poor prognosis with lack of standardized treatment options. This study retrospectively evaluated the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of 47 patients with CAS of the head and neck treated at an academic sarcoma center. Patient data were collected from the electronic medical records. 62% of patients were male with the scalp being the most commonly affected area (64%). The majority of patients presented with localized disease (53%). Median overall survival (OS) was 3.4 years with an OS of 36% at 5 years. There was a statistically significant increase in OS for patients who underwent surgery compared to those who did not (5.4 vs. 2.8 years). In contrast, radiotherapy (RT) or chemotherapy did not significantly increase OS. 45% of patients had recurrence of disease during their treatment course with a median time to recurrence of 22.8 months. There was not a significant difference in OS for patients who underwent immunotherapy compared to those who underwent chemotherapy, although only a few patients received immunotherapy. We found that surgery was an effective treatment modality in patients with easily resectable disease, while RT, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy did not significantly improve OS.

Tumor microenvironment and its clinicopathological and prognostic associations in surgically resected cutaneous angiosarcoma

PURPOSE

Cutaneous angiosarcoma (CAS) is a rare but typically aggressive malignant vascular neoplasm of the skin. Tumor microenvironment (TME) of CAS and its associations with baseline clinicopathological features and patient outcomes are very important, especially when considering the recent advances in understanding of the tumor biology.

METHODS/PATIENTS

We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients who underwent surgical resection for CAS at a tertiary Hospital. The pretreated specimens were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1), densities of tumor infiltrative lymphocytes (TILs) (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD45RO+, FoxP3+), as well as c-MYC and Ki-67 expressions. Overall survival (OS) was estimated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared with Log-rank test.

RESULTS

A total of 21 CAS patients were identified. Median age was 67 (ranges: 20-81) years, 14 (66.7%) were male, and over 50% had lesions of scalp. Histopathological examination showed a predominantly spindle cell type (57.1%). All patients underwent surgery, 16 (76.2%) were treated further. PD-L1 was positively stained (> 1%) in tumor cells (42.9%) and TILs (23.8%). PD-1 expression (> 1%) was identified in TILs of 11 (52.4%) cases. PD-1/PD-L1 expressions were significantly associated with the higher densities of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD45RO+, and Foxp3+ TILs, but not with patient characteristics or c-MYC or Ki-67 expression. Median OS was 18.5 months (95% CI 6.0-35.9), although no prognostic significance was observed with respect to any clinicopathological features.

CONCLUSION

We characterized TME and its clinical and prognostic association in CAS. PD-1/PD-L1 expressions were significantly associated with TILs subtypes but not with OS.

Kutane Angiosarkome: molekulare Pathogenese und neue therapeutische Ansätze

Das kutane Angiosarkom (CAS) ist ein hochaggressiver maligner Tumor mit schlechter Prognose. Das primäre, spontane CAS (pCAS) und das sekundäre, mit einer Bestrahlung oder einem Lymphödem assoziierte CAS (sCAS) unterscheiden sich klinisch sowie molekular. Die Amplifikation/Überexpression von Myc ist ein charakteristisches, wenn auch nicht ausschließliches Merkmal von sCAS, während der Verlust von TP53 selektiv bei pCAS vorkommt. Detaillierte molekulare Analysen mit modernen Multi-Omics-Ansätzen haben gezeigt, dass sowohl pCAS als auch sCAS eine erhebliche molekulare Heterogenität aufweisen. Die betroffenen Gene und ihre molekularen Regulatoren sind mögliche therapeutische Zielstrukturen. Darüber hinaus kann das pCAS in Cluster mit hoher Mutationsrate und/oder ausgeprägten Entzündungssignaturen eingeteilt werden, die als Grundlage für die künftige Stratifizierung von pCAS-Patienten in immuntherapeutischen klinischen Studien dienen können. Während die Aufklärung der der Erkrankung zugrunde liegenden molekularen Veränderungen zügig voranschreitet, verläuft die Entwicklung daraus abgeleiteter neuer Therapien für das CAS jedoch bisher eher langsam. Dennoch wurden einige über die Standardtherapien wie Operation und Radiochemotherapie hinausgehende klinische Studien zu neuen Behandlungsmöglichkeiten initiiert. Dazu gehören zielgerichtete Therapien gegen VEGF und VEGFR1-3 wie Bevacizumab und Pazopanib, sowie β-Adrenozeptorenblocker wie Propranolol. Derzeit werden auch Immuntherapien entwickelt, unter anderem unter Verwendung der Immuncheckpoint-Inhibitoren Pembrolizumab und Nivolumab sowie des Anti-RANKL-Antikörper Denosumab.

Prognostic factor analysis of definitive radiotherapy using intensity-modulated radiation therapy and volumetric modulated arc therapy with boluses for scalp angiosarcomas

Cutaneous angiosarcomas is a rare cancer with poor prognoses. The common radiotherapy techniques that have been reported so far are two pairs of lateral X-ray and electron fields. However, it is quite difficult to irradiate scalp angiosarcomas (SAs) homogeneously with this technique. In this study, safety, effectiveness, and risk factors were assessed for localized SAs ≥ 5 cm treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) or volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with boluses. Sixty-eight angiosarcoma patients who had received radiotherapy in our institution between January 2007 and November 2020 were retrieved from our radiotherapy database. Of these patients, 27 localized SA patients were included in the retrospective analysis. The 2-year overall survival, local progression-free rate, and distant metastases-free survival were 41.8%, 48.4%, and 33.1%. All the patients experienced acute radiation dermatitis ≥ grade 2, with18 (66.7%) ≥ grade 3. No nodule lesion was a significant unfavorable predictive factor of acute radiation dermatitis ≥ grade 3. Tumor bleeding at the initiation of radiotherapy and tumor invasion to the face were significant predictive factors of overall survival, and tumor bleeding at the initiation of radiotherapy was also a significant predictive factor of local progression-free rate.

Nectin cell adhesion molecule 4 regulates angiogenesis through Src signaling and serves as a novel therapeutic target in angiosarcoma

Angiosarcoma is a rare, life-threatening soft tissue sarcoma with malignant endothelial cells that is mainly found in the skin. Multidisciplinary approaches are used to treat patients with unresectable metastasized lesions; considering the cellular origin of angiosarcoma, anti-angiogenic therapy has also been used recently. However, these treatments have limited efficacy, and the survival rate remains low. Thus, more effective treatments need to be developed. Nectin cell adhesion molecule 4 (NECTIN4) is highly expressed in malignant tumors and promotes tumor progression. Thus, NECTIN4 is expected to be a novel therapeutic target for cancer. However, the significance of NECTIN4 in angiosarcoma remains unknown. Using immunohistochemistry, we investigated NECTIN4 expression in 74 tissue samples from angiosarcoma patients, finding variable NECTIN4 expression. In addition, we investigated NECTIN4 expression and function in human angiosarcoma cell lines. NECTIN4 expression was higher in angiosarcoma cells than normal endothelial cells, and angiosarcoma cells were sensitive to monomethyl auristatin E, the cytotoxic part of a NECTIN4-targetting antibody-drug conjugate. NECTIN4 knockdown inhibited the proliferation and angiogenesis of angiosarcoma cells, and Src kinase signaling was shown to be involved in NECTIN4 function, at least in part. NECTIN4-targeted therapy has the potential to be a novel treatment strategy for angiosarcoma.

Cutaneous Angiosarcomas: Molecular Pathogenesis Guides Novel Therapeutic Approaches

Cutaneous angiosarcoma (CAS) is a highly aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis. Primary, spontaneous CAS (pCAS) and secondary, post-irradiation- or lymphedema-associated CAS (sCAS) are clinically, but also molecularly distinct. Myc amplification/overexpression is a characteristic, although not exclusive feature of sCAS, while loss of TP53 selectively occurs in pCAS. Detailed molecular analyses with modern multi-omics approaches have revealed that both pCAS and sCAS exhibit considerable molecular heterogeneity. Affected genes and their molecular regulators including a plethora of microRNAs may serve as future drug targets. Furthermore, pCAS could be subdivided into clusters with high tumor mutational burden and/or high tumor inflammation signatures providing a rationale for the stratification of pCAS patients in future immunotherapeutic clinical studies. Development of novel treatment regimens guided by these molecular alterations, however, cannot fully keep up with the pace of their discovery due to the low incidence of the disease. Nevertheless, beyond conventional surgery and chemoradiotherapy, clinical trials investigating novel treatment options have been initiated including targeted therapies against VEGF and VEGFR1-3 such as bevacizumab and pazopanib, and β-adrenoreceptor blockers such as propranolol. Finally, immunotherapies are being developed including immune checkpoint inhibitors pembrolizumab and nivolumab as well as anti-RANKL antibody denosumab.

Management of Cutaneous Angiosarcoma: an Update Review

OPINION STATEMENT

Cutaneous angiosarcoma is a rare and invasive malignant tumor. For localized cAS patients, wide-margin excision was recommended. Due to the latent local invasion characteristic of cAS, we suggest preoperative and postoperative radiotherapy to nearly all patients. Recently, there is growing interest in using neoadjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy as part of a combination therapy regimen, which may allow some patients to undergo potentially less disabling surgery. For metastatic cAS patients with unresectable tumors and who refuse surgery, radical radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy may be an option. Paclitaxel was recognized as the first-line treatment. For tumors resistant to taxanes, emerging medications such as targeted agents and immunotherapy are also under investigation.

The role of c-MYC expression in the diagnostic and clinical confirmation of radiation-induced angiosarcoma

Introduction. Angiosarcomas (ASs) arising from vascular tissue, account for 3.3% of all sarcomas and have a poor prognosis. Radiation-induced AS is a rare late complication of radiotherapy (RT) treatment and is characterized by a gene expression profile such as amplification of the MYC oncogene, by which we can distinguish primary from secondary induced tumor. Case report. For a 77-year-old female patient with early-stage endometrial adenocarcinoma, a radical hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was initially done. According to pathological risk factors, the postoperative external beam conformal RT (CRT) of the pelvis was administered with concomitant brachytherapy. Six years after the treatment, on the anterior abdominal wall, in the region of the postoperative irradiation field and surgical scar, an infiltrative AS of the skin and subcutaneous adipose tissue was histologically confirmed. The patient received six cycles of mono-adriamycin chemotherapy with verified partial regression. Additional immunohistochemical analysis (IHC) of c-MYC, Ki67, and CD34 expression showed a high proliferative index (Ki67 around 60%) and c-MYC positivity indicating the molecular pattern of radiation-induced AS. Furthermore, the high proliferative index could explain the positive response to chemotherapy. Conclusion. The novel postoperative RT techniques provide better survival and local control in risk-endometrial cancer groups with a decrease in irradiation complications. These patients with longer survival are at a higher risk of developing radiation-induced tumors as late side-effects of RT. When assessing the probability of radiation-induced AS, IHC analysis of c-MYC expression could distinguish secondary from other AS if Cahan?s criteria are fulfilled.

A successful approach for angiosarcoma of the scalp using helical tomotherapy and customized surface mold brachytherapy: A case report

RATIONALE

Angiosarcoma of the scalp (ASS) is a rare solid tumor with a high risk of local recurrence. Effective treatment strategies are not currently available for angiosarcoma of the scalp (ASS). The aim of this study was to report the utility of high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDRBT) as a boost treatment for ASS following total scalp irradiation using helical tomotherapy (HT). This is the first report of successful treatment of ASS using HT and HDRBT.

PATIENT CONCERNS

An 81-year-old woman presented with hemorrhagic nodular skin tumors of the scalp. The patient first noticed the scalp mass 3 months before consultation, which became significantly enlarged within a short period. The tumor was positioned mostly in the parietal area, although the skin color change was widely spread to the surrounding scalp.

DIAGNOSIS

The patient underwent biopsy of the skin lesion at the right parietal region, which revealed the presence of angiosarcoma on pathological examination. There was neither regional lymphadenopathy nor distant metastases on PET/CT.

INTERVENTIONS

Considering the patient's old age and poor performance status because of a history of cerebral infarction, we considered that she was eligible for definitive chemoradiotherapy of the scalp. We adopted an individual surface mold HDRBT boost of 18 Gy in three fractions following total scalp irradiation with 50 Gy in 25 fractions delivered using HT. Docetaxel (40 mg/m2) was administered every 4 weeks, concurrently with radiotherapy.

OUTCOMES

Treatment tolerance was good, and severe toxicity has not been observed to date. At 18 months after radiotherapy, the patient does not have any evidence of recurrence.

CONCLUSION

Customized surface mold HDRBT following total scalp irradiation using HT resulted in excellent disease control and minimal toxicity; thus, it may be a promising therapeutic option for ASS.

Efficacy of a combination of paclitaxel and radiation therapy against cutaneous angiosarcoma: A single-institution retrospective study of 21 cases

Cutaneous angiosarcoma (CAS) is a rare malignant tumor with a poor prognosis for which neither basic research on molecular pathomechanisms nor clinical prospective studies have progressed. A retrospective study of 28 CAS cases reported that chemoradiotherapy with taxanes was superior to conventional surgery. Since that time, chemoradiotherapy with paclitaxel (PTX + RT) has become a standard treatment. In this paper, we retrospectively investigate 21 cases of CAS that had been treated in the Department of Dermatology at Hokkaido University Hospital. Patients initially treated with PTX + RT followed by maintenance taxane chemotherapy showed better prognosis in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) (median OS, 28 months; median PFS, 12 months) compared to others (median OS, 10 months; median PFS, 5 months) (OS and PFS: p < 0.05, log-rank test). Our results are consistent with those of a previous study that suggested that PTX + RT followed by maintenance taxane chemotherapy is a better therapeutic option than other interventions, including surgery.

Development and validation of a prognostic nomogram model in primary cutaneous and subcutaneous soft tissue angiosarcoma

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to investigate the prognosis and treatment of primary cutaneous angiosarcoma (PCA) and primary subcutaneous angiosarcoma (PSCA), and tried to develop a prognostic nomogram model of them.

METHODS

A total of 1763 cases retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were retrospectively analyzed. Survival analyses were performed to explore the prognosis of patients and the effects of different treatment methods. All data were randomly allocated into a training set and a testing set to develop and validate the nomogram model.

RESULTS

The findings showed that age, sex, grade, tumor size, multiple primary malignant tumors, stage, primary site surgery (PSS), radiotherapy (RT), and chemotherapy (CT) were correlated with prognosis (p < .05). The nomogram achieved good accuracy in predicting the prognosis. PSS + RT + CT showed the best prognosis for patients in stages I, II, and III (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

PCA and PSCA are rare with poor prognoses. Patients undergoing PSS may not gain survival benefits from combining with RT or (and) CT, whereas PSS + RT + CT should be actively performed in earlier stages to improve the prognosis of patients. The nomogram model can be used to predict the overall survival rate and guide better treatment.

Radical radiotherapy for localized cutaneous angiosarcoma of the scalp

Angiosarcoma is a rare but highly aggressive sarcoma of mesenchymal origin with a high mortality rate. Due to its rarity, there are very limited reports on the clinical outcomes of angiosarcoma treated with radical radiotherapy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of treating patients with radiotherapy for cutaneous angiosarcoma localized to the scalp at The University of Tokyo Hospital (Tokyo, Japan). The present study analyzed 15 consecutive patients treated for cutaneous angiosarcoma of the scalp with radiotherapy between June 2008 and January 2020. All patients were treated with 70 Gy of irradiation split into 35 fractions, focused on the lesion, including 9 patients who received total scalp radiotherapy. The median follow-up period in all patients was 9.7 months. The median overall survival (OS) time was 20.7 months, and the 1-, 2- and 5-year OS rates were 56.2, 28.1 and 9.4%, respectively. At the time of analysis, 13 patients (86.7%) developed recurrence. Among these 13 patients, the first site of recurrence was the scalp as local recurrence in 7 patients (46.7%), parotid recurrence in 2 patients (13%) and distant metastasis in 4 patients (26.7%). No patient exhibited grade 3-5 radiation-induced late toxicity. Therefore, the present study revealed the clinical outcomes of radical radiotherapy for cutaneous angiosarcoma of the scalp.

Efficacy of Anlotinib for the Treatment of Angiosarcoma of the Face and Neck: A Case Report

Angiosarcoma of the face and neck is a rare soft tissue sarcoma with a high degree of malignancy. The current treatment methods mainly rely on a combination of surgery and radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. However, the options for drug treatment are very limited and surgery can be difficult to carry out due to the location of the tumor, so the efficacy of first-line drugs needs to be constantly explored. A case of angiosarcoma of the head and face diagnosed by biopsy is reported here. The patient received an oral anlotinib hydrochloride capsule once a day (12 mg on days 1 - 14/1 week off for a 21-day cycle) due to the difficulty of surgery. Until now (April, 2020), after 10 months of treatment, the patient's scalp and facial lesions have gradually reduced and the partial response and progression-free survival of this patient were good, with moderate or tolerable adverse events. This approach provides a new approach for the clinical treatment of malignant angiosarcoma of the face and neck with anlotinib as first-line therapy.

Recurrent angiosarcoma of scalp with opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome: role of salvage treatment

Cutaneous angiosarcoma is a type of rare and locally aggressive malignancy requiring individualised treatment owing to paucity of randomised trials. We present the case of a middle-aged cancer survivor with locally advanced angiosarcoma of scalp managed with surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy over a course of 6 years for two recurrences. The first recurrence was preceded by opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome, a type of paraneoplastic neurological syndrome (PNS), rarely reported in sarcomas. The second recurrence had a rapid clinical course, which led to a therapeutic dilemma of best supportive care versus active management. A trial of weekly paclitaxel was started that was continued for a total of 12 cycles with good objective clinical response. Presently, he is tolerating maintenance pazopanib well and is symptom free for 6 months. In cutaneous angiosarcoma patients, PNS may be a harbinger of recurrence and aggressive, multimodality treatment helps prolong survival.

Primary breast angiosarcoma with disseminated intravascular coagulation is successfully treated with self-subcutaneous unfractionated heparin calcium injection: A case report

Angiosarcoma is a rare sarcoma with a poor prognosis and is prone to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), where DIC often interferes with chemotherapy. Primary angiosarcoma of the breast (PASB) is a type of angiosarcoma that is located in mammary parenchyma and is not associated with radiation exposure. The current study reported a 47-year-old female with DIC associated with PASB. The DIC of the patient relapsed during mono-chemotherapy with paclitaxel (PTX) after first-line anticoagulant therapy using thrombomodulin-α. The second-line danaparoid sodium therapy, followed by self-subcutaneous injection of unfractionated heparin calcium (UFH), resulted in long-term stabilization of DIC. Under this second-line anticoagulant therapy, the patient continued chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy for >13 months in the outpatient setting without impairment of quality of life. The present case suggested that self-subcutaneous injections of UFH may be a useful therapeutic option for long-term control of DIC associated with PASB. However, further prospective clinical trails are needed to verify the efficacy of self-subcutaneous injection of UFH in similar settings.

The Effectiveness of Different Treatment Modalities of Cutaneous Angiosarcoma: Results From Meta-Analysis and Observational Data From SEER Database

Introduction

Cutaneous angiosarcoma (cAS) is an aggressive vascular tumor that originates from vascular or lymphatic epithelial cells. To date, the cAS literature has been limited in a small number with single-center experiences or reports due to its rarity and the optimal treatment strategy is still in dispute. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and compare the effect of available treatments retrieved from observational studies and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program.

Methods

The authors performed a systematic review in the PubMed, Embase and MEDLINE database identifying the researches assessing the treatment for cAS patients. Clinical and treatment information of patients who had been diagnosed with a primary cAS were also obtained from the SEER program.

Results

Thirty-two studies were eligible but only 5 of which with 276 patients were included in meta-analysis since the unclear or unavailable information. The risk ratio of 5-year death for surgery, surgery with radiotherapy and surgery with chemotherapy were 0.84, 0.96, and 0.69. Meanwhile, in SEER database, there are 291 metastatic and 437 localized patients with cAS. The localized patients receiving surgery showed a significantly worse overall survival result when compared with the surgery combined with RT: hazard ratio: 1.6, 95% confidential interval: 1.05, 2.42, P = 0.03.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our study provided a detailed picture of the effectiveness of present treatments for localized and metastatic cAS patients. The CT could be inappropriate in localized patients. For metastatic patients, the surgery combined RT was recommended compared with surgery alone since its enhanced OS prognosis. Yet, more novel-designed clinical trials with specific targeted populations and rigorous conducting are needed for a solid conclusion on which would be a better treatment strategy.

Concurrent paclitaxel and radiation therapy for the treatment of cutaneous angiosarcoma

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Cutaneous angiosarcoma has poor outcomes with no standardized treatment regimen.

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Paclitaxel-based chemoRT (CRT) was compared to other therapies at two US institutions.

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Similar oncologic outcomes and improved survival with paclitaxel CRT.

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Paclitaxel CRT + surgery provided best oncologic outcomes and survival.

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Paclitaxel CRT + surgery regimen now being studied in a prospective phase II trial.

Introduction

We compared clinical outcomes in patients with cutaneous angiosarcoma receiving concurrent paclitaxel-based chemoradiotherapy (CRT) vs. other modalities (Non-CRT).

Materials and methods

Patients with non-metastatic cutaneous angiosarcoma diagnosed from 1998 to 2018 at two institutions were identified. In the CRT cohort, paclitaxel 80 mg/m² weekly was given for up to 12 weeks and patients received radiotherapy (RT) during the final 6 weeks of chemotherapy. The RT dose was 50–50.4 Gy delivered in 1.8–2 Gy per fraction with an optional post-operative boost of 10–16 Gy. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank statistics were used to compare the outcomes between the two groups. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Fifty-seven patients were included: 22 CRT and 35 Non-CRT. The CRT cohort had more patients > 60 years (100% vs. 60%, p < 0.001) and tumors >5 cm (68.2% vs 54.3%, p = 0.023). The median follow-up was 25.8 (1.5–155.2) months. There was no significant difference in 2-year local control (LC), distant control (DC), or progression-free survival (PFS) between the two groups. The 2-year overall survival (OS) was significantly higher for the CRT cohort (94.1% vs. 71.6%, p = 0.033). Amongst the subset of patients in the CRT cohort who received trimodality therapy, the 2-year LC, DC, PFS, and OS was 68.6%, 100%, 68.6%, and 100%, respectively.

Conclusion

The use of concurrent paclitaxel CRT demonstrates promising outcomes. Given these results, we are currently evaluating the safety and efficacy of this regimen in prospective, phase 2 trial (NCT 03921008).

Is Pathologic Complete Response the Surrogate in Primary Gastric Angiosarcoma Undergoing Doxorubicin-Based Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy? A Case Report

Introduction

Angiosarcoma is a malignant tumor with low incidence. Especially in the advanced tumors, there is still a lack of knowledge of evidence-based medicine.

Case Presentation

We report a case of a 55-year-old woman with abdominal pain of 2 months of duration, which had increased in severity for 2 weeks prior to the presentation. The diagnosis is primary gastric angiosarcoma. We performed multiple disciplinary team (MDT), and doxorubicin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) was proposed. After two cycles of NAC, a computed tomography (CT) scan showed complete regression compared with the previous scan. An open surgery was done, and surgical specimens were confirmed as a pathological complete response (PCR) by pathological and immunohistochemical examination, but unfortunately, the patient suffered a relapse after the surgery in 3 months.

Conclusion

Repeated endoscopic biopsy and biopsy specimen examinations can improve accuracy in diagnosis. It seems that NAC could be a candidate for advanced primary gastric angiosarcomas. But after the rapid relapse, we are wondering whether pathologic complete response is the surrogate in primary gastric angiosarcoma undergoing NAC.

The Management and Prognosis of Facial and Scalp Angiosarcoma: A Retrospective Analysis of 15 Patients

BACKGROUND

Angiosarcomas are extremely aggressive malignant tumors that arise from vascular endothelial cells. The risk factors, etiology, prognostic factors, and optimal management strategies for angiosarcomas are as yet unknown.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed data from 15 patients who were treated in Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea, in the past 12 years, to assess the effect of different treatment modalities and reconstructive methods on the locoregional recurrence, metastasis, and overall survival.

RESULTS

A total of 15 patients were identified (median age at diagnosis, 72 years; range, 61-82 years). Median tumor size was 6 cm. Median follow-up was 287 days. The median overall survival was 14.96 months; a total of 13 (87%) patients had died by the end of the study.The median locoregional recurrence, metastasis, and overall survival were 7.3, 6.5, and 16.7 months, respectively. On univariate analysis, the use of adjuvant therapy after surgery (vs surgery without adjuvant therapy) was associated with delayed median time to detection of recurrence (7.9 months vs 3.1 months, respectively; P = 0.825), delayed median time to metastasis (8.7 months vs 3.1 months, respectively; P = 0.191), and better median overall survival (7.3 months vs 3.1 months, respectively; P = 0.078).The use of flap versus skin graft as a reconstructive method was associated with delayed median recurrence (8.75 vs 7.32 months, respectively; P = 0.274) and earlier median metastasis (3.75 vs 6.53 months, respectively; P = 0.365), but the same median overall survival of 16.7 months (P value: 0.945) and tumor smaller or bigger than 5 cm show earlier median time to detection of recurrence (4.17-7.32 months; P = 0.41), earlier median time to metastasis (3.75-6.53 months; P = 0.651), but better median overall survival of 18.21 versus 16.7 months, respectively (P = 0.111).

CONCLUSIONS

Multimodal treatment that combines surgery with adjuvant therapy is the best management strategy that influences survival positively in patients with angiosarcoma. The study shows that the reconstructive method does not affect the prognosis in these patients. So it is better to choose the simplest suitable resection and reconstructive method with the least complications and to avoid unnecessary procedures.

Multidisciplinary Management of Angiosarcoma - A Review

Angiosarcomas (AS) are a diverse group of soft tissue sarcomas, arising from blood and lymphatic vessels. They frequently present in the elderly, and in patients with previous radiation or lymphedema. A wide range of genetic derangements contribute to their development, and AS histology is often high-grade in keeping with aggressive disease biology. The clinical presentation, while often innocuous, is marked by its infiltrative and aggressive nature, with a proclivity for metastatic spread, and outcomes are often poor. Surgery is performed for localized, resectable cases. A multidisciplinary approach, appropriately employing surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or potentially recently approved immune-oncology agents, can result in positive outcomes.

The efficacy of eribulin mesylate for patients with cutaneous angiosarcoma previously treated with taxane: a multicentre prospective observational study

BACKGROUND

Taxanes are the current first-line treatment for advanced cutaneous angiosarcoma (CAS) for patients who are considered difficult to treat with doxorubicin owing to advanced age or comorbidity. However, no effective second-line therapy for such patients has been established.

METHODS

We designed a single-arm prospective observational study of eribulin mesylate (ERB) administered at a dose of 1·4 mg m^-2 on days 1 and 8 in a 21-day cycle. Patients with advanced CAS who were previously treated with a taxane and were scheduled to begin ERB treatment were enrolled. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS) and the secondary endpoints were response rate (RR), progression-free survival (PFS) and toxicity assessment.

RESULTS

We enrolled a total of 25 patients. The median OS and PFS were 8·6 months and 3·0 months, respectively. The best overall RR was 20% (five of 25). In total, 16 grade 3/4 severe adverse events (SAEs) occurred; however, all patients recovered. Patients who achieved partial response or stable disease as best response had longer OS than those with progressive disease (median OS not reached and 3·3 months, respectively; P < 0·001). Patients who did not experience SAEs showed longer OS than those who did (median OS 18·8 months and 7·5 months, respectively; P < 0·05). Patients with distant metastasis had shorter median OS than those with locoregional disease, but without statistically significant difference.

CONCLUSIONS

ERB showed a promising RR and is a potential candidate for second-line treatment for patients with CAS, after treatment with taxanes. However, owing to the occurrence of SAEs in over half of the participants, caution should be exercised regarding ERB use in elderly patients. What is already known about this topic? Taxanes are the current first-line treatment for patients with advanced cutaneous angiosarcoma (CAS) who are considered difficult to treat with doxorubicin owing to advanced age or comorbidity. No effective therapy for taxane-resistant CAS has been established thus far. Eribulin suppresses microtubule polymerization and elicits an antitumour effect similar to that of taxanes. What does this study add? In our single-arm prospective observational study to evaluate the efficacy of eribulin for treating patients with advanced CAS who previously received taxanes, the median overall survival and progression-free survival were 8·6 and 3·0 months, respectively. Response rates at weeks 7, 13 and 25 were 20%, 17% and 14%, respectively. Although 16 grade 3/4 severe adverse events occurred, all patients recovered. Eribulin showed a promising response rate and is a potential candidate for second-line treatment in CAS after taxane treatment. Linked Comment: Smrke and Benson. Br J Dermatol 2020; 183:797-798.

Clinicopathological and survival analyses of primary cutaneous angiosarcoma in an Asian population: prognostic value of the clinical features of skin lesions

BACKGROUND

Primary cutaneous angiosarcoma (CA) is a rare but aggressive tumor with a high rate of local recurrence. This study was designed to analyze the clinicopathological features of primary CA and identify factors of cutaneous manifestations associated with the prognosis of angiosarcoma.

METHODS

Medical records of 55 patients with primary CA were retrospectively analyzed to investigate clinical features, survivals, and prognostic factors. Anatomical location of tumor was classified to the scalp, face, and neck, and sites outside the head and neck.

RESULTS

Primary CA presented cutaneous nodules (31/55, 47.2%), patches (13/55, 23.6%), and indurated plaques (11/55, 20.0%). Nodular lesion was significantly more common in CA on the scalp compared to CA on sites outside the scalp. Histologically, tumors presenting as nodular lesions on the scalp was predominantly composed of solid sheets of large pleomorphic cells, whereas non-nodular lesions composed of tumor cells between collagen bundles forming irregular vascular spaces. Cutaneous angiosarcoma on the scalp showed a worse prognosis compared to CA on sites outside the scalp. Patients presenting clinical morphology with nodules and multiple skin lesions showed significantly reduced overall survival (OS).

CONCLUSION

In primary CA, location on the scalp, morphology with nodules, and multiplicity of skin lesions significantly affected survival outcomes.

Emerging therapeutic approaches for canine sarcomas: Pushing the boundaries beyond the conventional

Sarcomas represent a group of genomically chaotic, highly heterogenous tumours of mesenchymal origin with variable mutational load. Conventional therapy with surgery and radiation therapy is effective for managing small, low-grade sarcomas and remains the standard therapeutic approach. For advanced, high-grade, recurrent, or metastatic sarcomas, systemic chemotherapy provides minimal benefit, therefore, there is a drive to develop novel approaches. The discovery of "Coley's toxins" in the 19th century, and their use to stimulate the immune system supported the application of unconventional therapies for the treatment of sarcomas. While promising, this initial work was abandoned and treatment paradigm and disease course of sarcomas was largely unchanged for several decades. Exciting new therapies are currently changing treatment algorithms for advanced carcinomas and melanomas, and similar approaches are being applied to advance the field of sarcoma research. Recent discoveries in subtype-specific cancer biology and the identification of distinct molecular targets have led to the development of promising targeted strategies with remarkable potential to change the landscape of sarcoma therapy in dogs. The purpose of this review article is to describe the current standard of care and limitations as well as emerging approaches for sarcoma therapy that span many of the most active paradigms in oncologic research, including immunotherapies, checkpoint inhibitors, and drugs capable of cellular metabolic reprogramming.

Electrochemotherapy for advanced cutaneous angiosarcoma: A European register-based cohort study from the International Network for Sharing Practices of electrochemotherapy (InspECT)

BACKGROUND

Cutaneous angiosarcoma (cAS) is a highly aggressive malignancy that challenges the radicality of surgical treatment. Electrochemotherapy (ECT), a skin-directed treatment based on cytotoxic chemotherapy combined with local electric pulses, may be an intraoperative adjunct and a new opportunity in the therapeutic strategy. This cohort study reports the experience with ECT as an option.

METHODS

Data on patients with locally-advanced/metastatic cAS who underwent ECT between October 2013 and October 2018 at eight European centres were prospectively submitted to the InspECT (International network for sharing practices of ECT) register. Patients received therapy according to the European Standard Operating Procedures of ECT (ESOPE). Treatment feasibility was assessed based on tumour coverage with electrodes and recorded tissue current; treatment toxicity and tumour response were graded according to CTCAE v5.0 and RECIST v1.1 criteria, respectively; patient-reported outcomes (PRO) were evaluated using a visual analogue score (VAS) for pain, acceptance of retreatment and the EQ-5D questionnaire.

RESULTS

We enrolled 20 patients with advanced cAS in the scalp/face (n = 7), breast/trunk (n = 10) or limbs (n = 3). Target tumours (n = 51) had a median size of 2.3 cm (range, 1-20). We administered 24 ECT courses using 1-4 cm treatment safety margin around tumours. In five patients, ECT was combined/sequenced with surgery. Median tissue current was 3 A (range, 1.5-10), tumour margins coverage rate was 75% (15/20 patients). The objective response rate (ORR) was 80% (complete, 40%). Grade-3 toxicity included skin ulceration (15%) and pain (10%), with no significant change of PRO scores. Bleeding control was achieved in 13/14 patients with ulcerated tumours. With a median overall survival of 12.5 months, the local progression-free survival (LPFS) was 10.9 months.

CONCLUSION

ECT produces sustained response rate with minimal side effects and should be considered an option for advanced cAS. Palliative benefits include patient tolerability, local haemostasis and durable local control. Definition of optimal timing, treatment safety margins and combination with surgery need further investigation.

[Cutaneous angiosarcoma : Radiochemotherapy with liposomal pegylated doxorubicin]

BACKGROUND

Whilst cutaneous angiosarcoma is rare tumour which primarily affects elderly patients, its management presents a significant therapeutic challenge. Indeed, complete surgical excision is often not possible due to the location and the diffuse and extensive nature of the tumour. Therefore, current treatment strategies often include chemo- and/or radiotherapy.

METHODS

We report our experience of combined chemo- and radiotherapy in the clinical course of 6 patients with cutaneous angiosarcoma who were treated between 2007 and 2018.

RESULTS

All patients presented non-resectable tumours and were treated with radiotherapy in combination with the administration of liposomal, pegylated doxrubicin (25 mg/m² every 2 weeks). The mean duration of progression-free survival was 8 months (5-14 months), corresponding to an overall survival of 13 months (13-34 months). A partial response was seen in 4 patients and 1 patient developed progressive disease. One patient abandoned therapy after one administration. Two patients developed severe adverse events which led to termination of therapy after 1.5 months and 7 months, i.e. after 4 and 15 cycles respectively.

DISCUSSION

Combined radio- and chemotherapy with liposomal, pegylated doxorubicin is a useful therapeutic option in the management of cutaneous angiosarcoma. Given the short-lived response rate, new treatment options are urgently required.

Continued Chemotherapy After Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy Improves Treatment Outcomes for Unresectable Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: An Analysis of 13 Cases

Background: There is no standard systemic therapy for unresectable cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (ucSCC), although various chemotherapy regimens have been reported. In our department, concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for ucSCC resulted in a 1-year survival rate similar to that of resectable cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Treatment involves continued chemotherapy after CCRT. Here, we report the importance of continued chemotherapy after CCRT, based on treatment outcomes. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 13 patients with ucSCC, assessing the overall survival, overall response rate (ORR), and disease control rate (DCR). Results: CCRT with continued chemotherapy resulted in an ORR of 84.6%, DCR of 92.3%, and 1-year survival rate of 75%. Of the 13 patients treated with CCRT with continued chemotherapy, 6 had no metastasis. The remaining 7 patients developed metastasis to other organs or lymph nodes beyond the regional lymph nodes, although most sites of metastasis were outside the irradiation area. Conclusion: We conclude that CCRT with continued chemotherapy was effective in treating the irradiation site (primary lesion and regional lymph nodes) and any organ metastasis, although, it is unclear for how long the treatment remains effective.

Single institutional experience of radiation therapy for angiosarcoma of the scalp without cervical lymph node metastases: Impact of concurrent chemoradiation with maintenance chemotherapy using taxanes on patient prognosis

Cutaneous angiosarcoma is a rare aggressive malignant tumor. Concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) with maintenance chemotherapy using taxanes is one of the primary treatments. The aim of the present study was to retrospectively analyze the efficacy of CCRT with maintenance chemotherapy using taxanes in localized angiosarcoma of the scalp without cervical lymph node metastases. A total of 19 patients treated with radiation therapy for localized angiosarcomas of the scalp without cervical lymph node metastases were enrolled. The overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and local control (LC) rates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Univariate analyses were performed for various potential prognostic factors for OS, PFS, and LC. The median radiation dose was 70 Gy (range, 60-70 Gy), and the fractional dose was 2 Gy. Radiation therapy alone, radiation therapy + interleukin-2, surgery + CCRT with maintenance chemotherapy, CCRT with maintenance chemotherapy, and CCRT without maintenance chemotherapy were administered to 2, 4, 2, 9 and 2 patients, respectively. The 1- and 3-year OS, PFS, and LC rates were 88 and 52%, 47 and 33%, and 74 and 56%, respectively. CCRT with maintenance chemotherapy and surgery were significant prognostic factors for PFS (P=0.036 and 0.025, respectively). Therefore, CCRT with maintenance chemotherapy using taxanes might be effective in treating localized angiosarcomas of the scalp without cervical lymph node metastases.

Radiation-induced angiosarcoma of the breast: A review

Angiosarcoma is a rare, aggressive malignant vascular neoplasm with poor prognosis that has a predilection for skin and superficial soft tissue. It can arise spontaneously or in association with factors like chronic lymphedema or radiation therapy. Radiotherapy used to treat invasive breast tumors is a known risk factor for the development of the so-called radiation-induced angiosarcoma (RIAS), a condition that has been described in the literature with increasing frequency. Radiation-induced angiosarcoma of the breast usually arises on the previously irradiated skin area several years after radiotherapy and presents as painless multifocal erythematous patches or plaques similar to a hematoma. Cutaneous biopsy is essential for the diagnosis. Histologically, RIAS is characterized by irregular anastomosing vessels lined by endothelial cells showing nuclear atypia. Treatment is mostly surgical, and mastectomy with negative margins is considered the standard procedure. However, recurrences are common, and an approach combining surgery, chemo- and radiotherapy may be more effective. The purpose of this study is to review the most recent medical literature on RIAS of the breast, with emphasis on its pathophysiology, clinical and histological features and current treatment options.

Brain abscess in an angiosarcoma patient during a disease-free interval

This is the first case of an angiosarcoma patient with brain abscess, and it might be responsible for skin defect and cranial bone necrosis by surgical excision and radiation. Our patient was treated with 10 courses of triweekly paclitaxel therapy, radical radiotherapy (70 Gy), and surgical excision (2 cm margin apart from a lesion) for angiosarcoma. At two years after the operation he was diagnosed as brain abscess. Brain abscess was managed with antibiotic drugs and drainage, his clinical symptoms improved by these treatments. He achieves replace free survival without the exacerbation of angiosarcoma and brain abscess for three years.

A case of pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma successfully treated using concurrent chemoradiotherapy and subsequent chemotherapy

Pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma (PAIS) is a rare malignancy with an extremely poor prognosis. A 43-year-old man visited our hospital with shortness of breath and suddenly experienced cardiopulmonary arrest before he could be examined. After prompt resuscitation, we diagnosed PAIS, but the patient refused to undergo surgery because of the high perioperative mortality risk. Thus, the patient was treated using concurrent chemoradiotherapy with weekly paclitaxel therapy, as well as subsequent chemotherapy. The patient continued chemotherapy for 36 months until he elected to discontinue treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of PAIS, which is difficult to resect, that was successfully treated using concurrent chemoradiotherapy and subsequent chemotherapy.

aPKC controls endothelial growth by modulating c-Myc via FoxO1 DNA-binding ability

Strict regulation of proliferation is vital for development, whereas unregulated cell proliferation is a fundamental characteristic of cancer. The polarity protein atypical protein kinase C lambda/iota (aPKCλ) is associated with cell proliferation through unknown mechanisms. In endothelial cells, suppression of aPKCλ impairs proliferation despite hyperactivated mitogenic signaling. Here we show that aPKCλ phosphorylates the DNA binding domain of forkhead box O1 (FoxO1) transcription factor, a gatekeeper of endothelial growth. Although mitogenic signaling excludes FoxO1 from the nucleus, consequently increasing c-Myc abundance and proliferation, aPKCλ controls c-Myc expression via FoxO1/miR-34c signaling without affecting its localization. We find this pathway is strongly activated in the malignant vascular sarcoma, angiosarcoma, and aPKC inhibition reduces c-Myc expression and proliferation of angiosarcoma cells. Moreover, FoxO1 phosphorylation at Ser218 and aPKC expression correlates with poor patient prognosis. Our findings may provide a potential therapeutic strategy for treatment of malignant cancers, like angiosarcoma.

The cell polarity regulator aPKC is associated with cell proliferation but the precise mechanism are unknown. Here, the authors find that aPKC lambda phosphorylates the FoxO1 transcription factor, a gatekeeper of endothelial growth, during both angiogenesis and angiosarcomas.

A case of radiation-associated angiosarcoma after breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Radiation-associated angiosarcoma (RAAS) is a rare subtype of secondary angiosarcoma that is characterized by rapid proliferation and extensive tissue infiltration. Although various treatments for RAAS (such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy) have been reported, there is no consensus as to which approach is the best.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 76-year-old woman presented with right breast cancer (T1N0M0, stage I) 9 years ago. She had undergone breast-conserving surgery and sentinel lymph node biopsy and was receiving adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy for the malignancy. Six years after presenting with the tumor, she developed pigmented skin and was diagnosed with a RAAS; this angiosarcoma recurred three times within 2 years. The angiosarcoma was resected each of the three times, after which adjuvant radiation therapy was performed. At 76 years old, the patient developed a new mass on her chest skin in the vicinity of the scar. Angiosarcoma was diagnosed following a pathology report, which resulted in a second diagnosis of recurrent RAAS again since the diagnostic criteria were met. After extensive resection of the irradiated area, the patient has remained free of angiosarcoma for the last 3 years.

CONCLUSION

Resection of the entire irradiated field is critical for successful treatment of RAAS.

Characteristics and Prognosis of Primary Head and Neck Angiosarcomas: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) Analysis of 1250 Cases

Head and neck angiosarcomas (HN-AS) are rare malignancies with a poor prognosis relative to other soft tissue sarcomas. To date, the HN-AS literature has been limited to short reports and single-institution experiences. This study evaluated patients registered with the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program who had been diagnosed with a primary HN-AS. Predictors were drawn from demographic and baseline tumor characteristics. Outcomes were survival months and cause of death. Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to estimate overall (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) rates. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used for multivariate analyses. A total of 1250 patients (mean age 73.3 years) were identified, and nearly all lesions (93.5%) were cutaneous. Two- and 5-year OS rates were 47.3% (95% CI 44.3-50.3) and 26.5% (95% CI 23.7-29.3), while 2- and 5-year DSS rates were 66.6% (95% CI 63.6-69.6) and 48.3% (95% CI 44.5-52.1). In the univariate analyses, age, race, tumor grade, tumor size, AJCC stage, SEER historic stage, and surgery were significant predictors of both OS and DSS. Multivariate regression revealed that independent predictors of poor OS and DSS were older age [OS: HR 1.04 (95% CI 1.02-1.05), p < 0.01; DSS: HR 1.03 (95% CI 1.01-1.05), p < 0.01], increased tumor size [OS: HR 1.01 (95% CI 1.01-1.01), p < 0.01; DSS: HR 1.01 (95% CI 1.01-1.02), p < 0.01], and distant disease [OS: HR 2.97 (95% CI 1.65-5.34), p < 0.01; DSS: HR 4.99 (95% CI 2.50-9.98), p < 0.01]. Age, tumor size, and disease extent were determinants of HN-AS survival. When all other factors were controlled, lower histologic grade and surgery did not improve the risk of death.