Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is an extremely rare, aggressive sarcoma affecting adolescents and young adults with male predominance. Generally, it originates from the serosal surface of the abdominal cavity. The hallmark characteristic of DSRCT is the EWSR1–WT1 gene fusion. This translocation up-regulates the expression of PDGFRα, VEGF and other proteins related to tumor and vascular cell proliferation. Current management of DSRCT includes a combination of chemotherapy, radiation and aggressive cytoreductive surgery plus intra-peritoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy (HIPEC). Despite advances in multimodal therapy, outcomes remain poor since the majority of patients present disease recurrence and die within three years. The dismal survival makes DSRCT an orphan disease with an urgent need for new drugs. The treatment of advanced and recurrent disease with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as pazopanib, sunitinib, and mTOR inhibitors was evaluated by small trials. Recent studies using comprehensive molecular profiling of DSRCT identified potential therapeutic targets. In this review, we aim to describe the current studies conducted to better understand DSRCT biology and to explore the new therapeutic strategies under investigation in preclinical models and in early phase clinical trials.

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a rare malignancy, recently recognized as a provisional entity by the World Health Organization. Although increasing data have been published on this entity in recent years, a great number of patients and health professionals remain unaware of this diagnosis. We herein report the case of a 56-year-old female with Li-FRAUMENI syndrome who presented with late right-sided recurrent breast swelling after prophylactic adenomastectomy with implant reconstruction. Imaging scans revealed an heterogeneous mass adjacent to the implant fibrous capsule. A biopsy of the lesion rendered the diagnosis of a BIA-ALCL. This case presents similarities with previous reports, but also some particularities, which should be stressed in order to make the diagnosis the earliest possible. The most distinct feature is that this is the second report of BIA-ALCL arising in the setting of Li-FRAUMENI syndrome.

Lynch syndrome (LS) is a hereditary cancer-predisposing syndrome associated most frequently with epithelial tumors, particularly colorectal (CRC) and endometrial carcinomas (EC). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sarcomas and LS by performing clinical and molecular characterization of patients presenting co-occurrence of sarcomas and tumors from the LS spectrum. We identified 27 patients diagnosed with CRC, EC, and other LS-associated tumors who had sarcomas in the same individuals or families. Germline genetic testing, mismatch repair (MMR) protein immunohistochemistry, microsatellite instability (MSI), and other molecular analyses were performed. Five LS patients presenting personal or family history of sarcomas were identified (3 MSH2 carriers and 2 MLH1), with 2 having Muir–Torre phenotypes. For two MSH2 carriers we confirmed the etiology of the sarcomas (one liposarcoma and two osteosarcomas) as LS-related, since the tumors were MSH2/MSH6-deficient, MSI-high, or presented a truncated MSH2 transcript. Additionally, we reviewed 43 previous reports of sarcomas in patients with LS, which revealed a high frequency (58%) of MSH2 alterations. In summary, sarcomas represent a rare clinical manifestation in patients with LS, especially in MSH2 carriers, and the analysis of tumor biological characteristics can be useful for definition of tumor etiology and novel therapeutic options.

Resumo: Schwannomas são tumores benignos oriundos de células da bainha neural cuja apresentação intraóssea é rara. Estima-se que os schwannomas intraósseos representem 0,2% de todos os tumores ósseos. Schwannomas podem acometer diferentes ossos do esqueleto, como a mandíbula, o sacro, corpos vertebrais, a ulna, o úmero, o fêmur, a tíbia, a patela, a escápula, costelas e ossos da mão. Apenas quatro casos que acometeram o calcâneo foram descritos na literatura. No presente trabalho, os autores relatam o caso de um paciente masculino de 49 anos com dor no retropé direito e com exames de imagem que evidenciaram lesão osteolítica no calcâneo. O estudo histopatológico confirmou o diagnóstico de Schwannoma intraósseo. O tratamento de escolha foi ressecção intralesional com adjuvância local e substituição por polimetilmetacrilato e fixação com parafusos canulados. O paciente evoluiu de forma satisfatória no pós-operatório e, após 1 ano de evolução, encontra-se assintomático, com boa resposta funcional e sem evidência de doença. Com esse relato, os autores desejam chamar atenção para essa patologia rara, sua apresentação clínica, radiológica e patológica, além de reiterar a importância de incluir o schwannoma intraósseo dentre os diagnósticos diferenciais das lesões osteolíticas do calcâneo.