Recent Advancement in Atypical Lipomatous Tumor Research

Giant liposarcoma of the thigh: A case report

Liposarcoma is a tumor derived from primitive cells that undergo adipose differentiation. They comprise 10%-35% of all soft tissue sarcomas. We present a 46-year-old female patient with a 4-year history of a giant swelling on the lateral aspect of the left thigh. Wide local excision of the mass was performed and histopathological analysis revealed a well-differentiated liposarcoma. Liposarcomas commonly appear in the extremities and have distinct features on imaging studies. Surgical treatment and histology are the most important prognostic factors for patients with lipomatous tumors, as complete surgical excision reduces local recurrence rate.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound reveals perfusion differences between benign lipoma and semi-malignant atypical lipomatous tumors: A prospective clinical study

PURPOSE

Soft tissue tumors (STT) are difficult to diagnose accurately, and distinguishing between benign and malignant tumors is challenging. Lipoma is the most common STT, while atypical lipomatous tumors (ALT) can dedifferentiate into malignant lipomatous tumors like grade 1 liposarcoma and require more radical therapy. This study aims to investigate the potential of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to differentiate between lipoma and ALT based on tumor perfusion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We prospectively examined 52 patients who were scheduled for biopsy for suspected lipoma or ALT. The CEUS examination was performed using SonoVue as a contrast agent to quantify tumor perfusion using VueBox V7.1 software. Peak enhancement (PE), rise time (RT), wash-in perfusion index (WiPI), and wash-out rate (WoR) were used to assess contrast enhancement inside the STT.

RESULTS

Among 50 tumors examined, 30 were lipomas, and 20 were ALTs. We found significant differences in perfusion between lipomas and ALTs (PE: 49.22 ± 45.75 a.u. vs. 165.67 ± 174.80; RT: 23.86 ± 20.47s vs. 10.72 ± 5.34 s; WiPI: 33.06 ± 29.94 dB vs. 107.21 ± 112.43 dB; WoR: 2.44 ± 3.70 dB/s vs. 12.75 ± 15.80 dB/s; p<.001). ROC analysis of PE resulted in a diagnostic accuracy of 74% for the detection of an ALT, and 77% for the detection of a lipoma.

CONCLUSION

CEUS may enhance the differential diagnosis of benign lipomas and ALTs, with ALTs showing higher levels of perfusion. If larger prospective studies confirm these findings, CEUS could enhance diagnostic accuracy, guide surgical planning, and potentially reduce unnecessary treatments for patients presenting with ambiguous lipomatous tumors like lipoma or ALT.

Unveiling the role of GAS41 in cancer progression

GAS41, a member of the human YEATS domain family, plays a pivotal role in human cancer development. It serves as a highly promising epigenetic reader, facilitating precise regulation of cell growth and development by recognizing essential histone modifications, including histone acetylation, benzoylation, succinylation, and crotonylation. Functional readouts of these histone modifications often coincide with cancer progression. In addition, GAS41 functions as a novel oncogene, participating in numerous signaling pathways. Here, we summarize the epigenetic functions of GAS41 and its role in the carcinoma progression. Moving forward, elucidating the downstream target oncogenes regulated by GAS41 and the developing small molecule inhibitors based on the distinctive YEATS recognition properties will be pivotal in advancing this research field.

Giant atypical lipomatous tumors of the thigh: a case series

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Atypical Lipomatous Tumors (ALTs) are low-grade locally aggressive soft tissue tumors. Deep large sized ALTs of the thigh can cause significant functional impairment due to their mass effect. Surgical resection, which is the treatment of choice for these lesions, can be a though procedure, especially if the neoplasm comes in proximity with noble structures such as large sized arteries or nerves. The aim of our study is to assess risks and effectiveness of surgical resection, evaluating complications, local recurrences and post-operative functionality.

METHODS

We evaluated all the giant ALT (larger diameter of 10 cm or more) of the thigh that received surgery in our institution between 2017 and 2022. Each patient's personal data and tumor size were evaluated. The quality of surgical margins was analyzed. MRI scans were performed both pre-operatively and during patients' follow-up. Lower limb's functional status was assessed using the MSTS score before and after surgery. Intra-operative and post-operative complications were recorded, as well as local recurrences.

RESULTS

Twentythree cases were included in our study. Tumors' mean major diameter was 19.1cm. The mean pre-operative MSTS score was 25.9. Only one case suffered from significant post-operative complications. Only 2 of our cases (8.7%) developed a local recurrence after surgery. The mean post-operative MSTS score was 29.1 Conclusions: A careful surgical resection can be effective in treating giant ALTs of the thigh in reason of good functional outcomes, low complications risks and reasonable local recurrence rates.

Increasing differential diagnosis between lipoma and liposarcoma through radiomics: a narrative review

Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are rare, heterogeneous, and very often asymptomatic diseases. Their diagnosis is fundamental, as is the identification of the degree of malignancy, which may be high, medium, or low. The Italian Medical Oncology Association and European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) guidelines recommend magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) because the clinical examination is typically ineffective. The diagnosis of these rare diseases with artificial intelligence (AI) techniques presents reduced datasets and therefore less robust methods. However, the combination of AI techniques with radiomics may be a new angle in diagnosing rare diseases such as STSs. Results obtained are promising within the literature, not only for the performance but also for the explicability of the data. In fact, one can make tumor classification, site localization, and prediction of the risk of developing metastasis. Thanks to the synergy between computer scientists and radiologists, linking numerical features to radiological evidence with excellent performance could be a new step forward for the diagnosis of rare diseases.

Mechanistic insights into genomic structure and functions of a novel oncogene YEATS4

As a novel oncogene, the role of YEATS domain-containing protein 4 (YEATS4) in the occurrence, development, and treatment of tumors is now beginning to be appreciated. YEATS4 plays an important role in regulating DNA repair during replication. The upregulation of YEAST4 promotes DNA damage repair and prevents cell death, whereas its downregulation inhibits DNA replication and induces apoptosis. Additionally, accumulating evidence indicates that the aberrant activation of YEATS4 leads to changes in drug resistance, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and also in the migration and invasion capacity of tumor cells. Therefore, specific inhibition of the expression or activity of YEATS4 protein may be an effective strategy for inhibiting the proliferation, motility, differentiation, and/or survival of tumor cells. Taken together, YEATS4 has emerged as a potential target for multiple cancers and is an attractive protein for the development of small-molecule inhibitors. However, research on YEAST4 in tumor-related fields is limited and its biological functions, metabolism, and the regulatory mechanism of YEATS4 in numerous cancers remain undetermined. This review comprehensively and extensively summarizes the functions, structure and oncogenic roles of YEATS4 in cancer progression and aims to further contribute to the study of its underlying molecular mechanism and targeted drugs.

Malignant adipocytic tumours: A 20‑year single‑centre retrospective study

Adipocytic tumours are the most common soft tissue neoplasms. Among them, liposarcoma is the most frequent malignant neoplasm. However, to the best of our knowledge, no previously published study has assessed the evolution and oncological prognosis of the different subtypes of liposarcoma at the retroperitoneal level compared with at other locations. The present study is a retrospective observational study in which all patients were operated on between October 2000 and January 2020 with a histological diagnosis of liposarcoma. Variables, such as age, sex, location, histological type, recurrence, type of treatment and mortality, among others, were analysed. The patients were divided into two groups: Group A (retroperitoneal location) and group B (non-retroperitoneal location). A total of 52 patients with a diagnosis of liposarcoma (17 women and 35 men) and a mean age of 57.2±15.9 years were assessed. A total of 16 patients were classified into group A and 36 into group B. The OR of recurrence was 1.5 (P=0.02) for R1 vs. R0 resection in group A. The OR of recurrence in group B for R1 vs. R0 resection was 1.8 (P=0.77), whereas for R2 vs. R0 resection, the OR was 69 (P=0.011). In conclusion, 52 cases of malignant adipocytic tumours collected during 2000-2020 were analysed with the new World Health Organization classification (updated 2020). Although its recurrence potential and capacity for distant metastasis depended on each histological type, surgical treatment with unaffected margins was the main prognostic factor for survival. The present study identified differences in relation to the survival of each histological subtype and its location, finding greater survival in dedifferentiated liposarcoma, myxoid liposarcoma and pleomorphic liposarcoma located at the extraperitoneal level than in the retroperitoneal location. Resectability was not influenced by liposarcoma location.

Epigenetic Modification of PD-1/PD-L1-Mediated Cancer Immunotherapy against Melanoma

Malignant melanoma is one of the representative skin cancers with unfavorable clinical behavior. Immunotherapy is currently used for the treatment, and it dramatically improves clinical outcomes in patients with advanced malignant melanoma. On the other hand, not all these patients can obtain therapeutic efficacy. To overcome this limitation of current immunotherapy, epigenetic modification is a highlighted issue for clinicians. Epigenetic modification is involved in various physiological and pathological conditions in the skin. Recent studies identified that skin cancer, especially malignant melanoma, has advantages in tumor development, indicating that epigenetic manipulation for regulation of gene expression in the tumor can be expected to result in additional therapeutic efficacy during immunotherapy. In this review, we focus on the detailed molecular mechanism of epigenetic modification in immunotherapy, especially anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibody treatment for malignant melanoma.

Epigenetics of Cutaneous Sarcoma

Epigenetic changes influence various physiological and pathological conditions in the human body. Recent advances in epigenetic studies of the skin have led to an appreciation of the importance of epigenetic modifications in skin diseases. Cutaneous sarcomas are intractable skin cancers, and there are no curative therapeutic options for the advanced forms of cutaneous sarcomas. In this review, we discuss the detailed molecular effects of epigenetic modifications on skin sarcomas, such as dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, angiosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, and liposarcoma. We also discuss the application of epigenetic-targeted therapy for skin sarcomas.

An Atypical Lipomatous Tumor of the Forearm: A Case Report

Introduction

Atypical lipomatous tumor (ALT) is a rare, well-differentiated and low-grade liposarcoma originating in deep soft tissue compartments of extremities and trunk. The optimal surgical treatment in the upper extremity is still controversial. Some Authors suggest the wide excision of the mass including the sacrifice of the muscle-surrounding tumor, others recommend the marginal resection of the lesion.

Case Report

We report a case of a 58-year-old patient who underwent the "simple" marginal resection of an ALT in the forearm by sparing the muscles surrounding the lesion. After 60 months, the patient is asymptomatic with no recurrence of the mass and a total recovery for activities of daily living.

Conclusion

Based on our experience the simple marginal resection "en bloc" is the gold standard for skilled hand surgeons to preserve neurovascular structure with no recurrences at medium-term follow-up.