A case of Stewart-Treves syndrome occurring in the abdominal wall successfully treated with eribulin: A case report

New molecular targets in canine hemangiosarcoma-Comparative review and future of the precision medicine

Human angiosarcoma and canine hemangiosarcoma reveal similarities not only in their aggressive clinical behaviour, but especially in molecular landscape and genetic alterations involved in tumorigenesis and metastasis formation. Currently, no satisfying treatment that allows for achieving long overall survival or even prolonged time to progression does not exist. Due to the progress that has been made in targeted therapies and precision medicine the basis for a new treatment design is to uncover mutations and their functions as possible targets to provide tailored drugs for individual cases. Whole exome or genome sequencing studies and immunohistochemistry brought in the last few years important discoveries and identified the most common mutations with probably crucial role in this tumour development. Also, despite a lack of mutation in some of the culprit genes, the cancerogenesis cause may be buried in main cellular pathways connected with proteins encoded by those genes and involving, for example, pathological angiogenesis. The aim of this review is to highlight the most promising molecular targets for precision oncology treatment from the veterinary perspective aided by the principles of comparative science. Some of the drugs are only undergoing laboratory in vitro studies and others entered the clinic in the management of other cancer types in humans, but those used in dogs with promising responses have been mentioned as priorities.

A retrospective analysis of Stewart-Treves syndrome in the context of chronic lymphedema

BACKGROUND

stewart-treves syndrome (STS) is an angiosarcoma associated with chronic lymphedema.

OBJECTIVES

This article analyses the characteristics of twenty-two patients and proposes active intervention in lymphedema and the early diagnosis of STS.

METHODS

Twenty-two patients with STS were diagnosed at the centre over an 11-year period. Clinical manifestations, a series of conventional analyses, and histopathology were used to study these cases retrospectively.

RESULTS

The age range of 22 patients with STS was 15 to 78 years. The main clinical manifestations included multiple skin and subcutaneous nodules and scattered red or purplish-red rashes in the lymphoedematous limbs. These patients often showed clinical symptoms such as lymphedema, weakness, emaciation, pain, mass, lymphadenopathy and so on. The positive rates of ultrasonography, MRI and radionuclide imaging were 66.7% (6/9), 92.3% (12/13) and 18.2% (2/11), respectively. The main points regarding active intervention in lymphedema and early diagnosis of STS were summarized.

STUDY LIMITATIONS

Since this was a retrospective study, the main points summarized by the author need to be further quantified in clinical work to guide the diagnosis of this kind of disease more conveniently. In addition, further clinical trials are needed to evaluate the role of lymphedema in the occurrence and development of malignant tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

STS can appear in lymphoedematous tissue many years after lymphedema onset. To avoid delays in the diagnosis and therapy of STS, physicians should actively look for signs or symptoms of malignant lymphedema during the follow-up period and promptly manage patients developing problems.

Stewart-Treves syndrome in an older woman successfully treated by metronomic chemotherapy: case report and literature survey

The authors present the case of a 94-year-old woman suffering from a right arm angiosarcoma developed after primary breast cancer and treated with success by oral metronomic chemotherapy based on daily low doses of cyclophosphamide and prednisone. The case description is followed by a short review of actual knowledge on the subject.