Secondary Osteosarcoma of the Femur Following Radiotherapy for Ewing's Sarcoma

Radiation-induced sarcoma is an exceedingly rare entity associated with high morbidity and mortality even if radiation is received several years prior. Aggressive cancer surveillance following radiotherapy is essential for improving survival rates in patients with radiation-induced sarcoma. Surgical resection with negative margins is the most important factor affecting long-term survival. This case report describes secondary osteosarcoma of the distal third of the femur in a 32-year-old female following previous radiotherapy treatment for Ewing's sarcoma.

Clinico-demographic characteristics and outcomes of radiation-induced sarcomas (RIS): a CanSaRCC study

Background

Radiation-induced sarcomas (RIS) tend to have aggressive behaviour and because of their rarity, the most appropriate management for these malignancies is uncertain.

Objectives

Using the Canadian Sarcoma Research and Clinical Collaboration (CanSaRCC) database, a national sarcoma registry, we aimed to investigate prognostic factors and outcomes for RIS.

Design

Retrospective study of RIS patients treated from 1996 to 2021 at three Canadian centres.

Methods

RIS was defined as a sarcoma arising in a previously irradiated field following a 3+ year latency period, whose histology was distinct from the initially irradiated tumour. Clinicopathologic and treatment-related information was extracted from the CanSaRCC database. Overall survival (OS) was defined as the time from RIS diagnosis to death from any cause. Response rate (RR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) was based on physician assessment. Time-to-event analyses were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, with Cox regression for multivariate analysis. We considered a two-tailed p-value of <0.05 as statistically significant.

Results

One hundred seven tumours met the criteria for RIS and were divided into three subgroups: breast angiosarcoma (BAS, n = 54), osteosarcoma (OST, n = 16), and other soft-tissue sarcomas (STS, n = 37). Patients were mostly female (n = 85, 79%), treated initially for breast carcinomas (n = 54, 50.5%), and diagnosed with high-grade tumours (n = 61/71, 86%). None had evidence of synchronous metastasis. Patients with OST were younger (median age: 48 years, p < 0.001), and BAS had the shortest latency interval (8 versus 18 years for OST/STS, p < 0.001). Most patients underwent surgery, 76% (n = 76/100) R0; 24% (n = 26) received radiation therapy, mostly (n = 15, 57.7%) neoadjuvant. Among those receiving chemotherapy, 30 (75%) underwent NACT; among patients with documented response assessment, the RR was 68% (n = 17/25), being even higher in the BAS population (89.5%, n = 13/17). Median OS was 53 months (95% CI 34-101), with a 5-year OS of 47.6%; larger tumour size, high histologic grade and older age were independent prognostic factors for worse OS.

Conclusion

Surgery is standard, and NACT might be useful to downsize large lesions, especially in BAS patients. Raising RIS awareness is fundamental to promoting appropriate management and fostering research through multi-institutional collaborations.

Radiation-induced sarcomas following childhood cancer - A Canadian Sarcoma Research and Clinical Collaboration Study (CanSaRCC)

BACKGROUND

Radiation-induced sarcoma (RIS) is a late toxicity of radiation therapy (RT) usually associated with poor prognosis. Due to ongoing improvements in childhood cancer treatment and patient outcomes, RIS may become more prevalent notwithstanding evolving indications for RT. Due to limited reported studies, we sought to review our experience with RIS in survivors of pediatric cancer.

METHODOLOGY

Data were collected on RIS patients following treatment for childhood cancer (initial diagnosis <18 years) identified in the CanSaRCC database. Additionally, details on the protocol guidance at time of treatment were compared with current guidelines for the same disease.

RESULTS

Among 12 RIS identified, median age at initial diagnosis was 3.5 years (range 0.16-14) and the latency from RT to RIS diagnosis was 24.5 (range 5.4-46.2) years. Initial diagnoses included neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, Wilms tumor, retinoblastoma and Hodgkin's Lymphoma. RIS histologies included osteosarcoma and soft tissue sarcomas. In comparison to protocols followed at time of diagnosis to current ones (2022), 7/12 (58%) patients would have required RT. RIS treatment included chemotherapy, radiation and surgery in 3/11 (27%), 10/11 (90%), and 7/11 (63%) patients, respectively. With a median follow-up time of 4.7 years from diagnosis of RIS, 8 (66%) patients were alive and 4 (33%) had died of progressive RIS.

CONCLUSION

RIS is a serious late effect of radiotherapy in childhood cancer; however, radiation remains an integral component of primary tumor management and requires participation from a specialized multi-disciplinary team, aiming to mitigate RIS and other potential late effects.

Radiation-Induced Sarcomas of the Breast: A Review of a 20-Year Single-Center Experience

Background Radiation-induced sarcomas (RISs) are histologically proven sarcomas within or around a previously irradiated site, per Cahan's criteria. RIS incidence is higher in breast cancer compared to other solid cancers and the prognosis remains poor given limited treatment options. This study aimed to review 20-year experience with RISs at a large tertiary care center. Methodology Using our institutional cancer registry database, we included patients meeting Cahan's criteria diagnosed between 2000 and 2020. Patient demographics, oncologic treatment, and oncologic outcomes data were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographic data. Oncologic outcomes were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results A total of 19 patients were identified. The median age at RIS diagnosis was 72 years (range = 39-82 months), and the median latency period for the development of RIS was 112 months (range = 53-300 months). All patients underwent surgery, three patients received systemic therapy, and six patients received re-irradiation as salvage treatment. The median follow-up time was 31 months (range = 6-172 months) from the diagnosis of RIS. Overall, five patients had local recurrence, and one patient developed distant metastases. The median time to progression was seven months (range = 4-14 months). The progression-free survival (95% confidence interval (CI)) at two years was 56.1% (37.4-84.4%). At follow-up two years after the diagnosis of sarcoma, the overall survival (95% CI) was 88.9% (75.5-100%). Conclusions While breast RIS remains rare, when managed in a large tertiary care center, overall survival outcomes appear favorable. A significant proportion of patients recur locally after maximal treatment and require salvage therapy to improve outcomes. These patients should be managed in high-volume centers where multidisciplinary expertise is available.

Radiation-induced sarcoma of head and neck: Clinical characteristics and molecular signatures

BACKGROUND

Radiation-induced sarcoma of the head and neck (RISHN) is a rare yet devastating potential complication of radiotherapy treatment. We aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics and molecular signatures of RISHN in patients who underwent radiotherapy for head and neck cancer (HNC) to identify high-risk patients and enable earlier cancer detection.

METHODS

This study retrospectively evaluated 24 sarcoma patients who received radiotherapy for HNC between 1994 and 2019. Patients were divided into two groups based on RISHN latency period. Patient demographics, initial tumor staging, risk factors, and survival between groups were analyzed, and whole-exome sequencing (WES) of selected samples was performed.

RESULTS

The median age at diagnosis of RISHN was 54 years, and the male-to-female ratio was 2:1. The latency period ranged from 0.8 to 64.4 years (median 6.5 years), with a median survival of 21.5 months. Primary cancer in the oral cavity, treatment with alkylating agents, alcohol consumption, betel nut chewing, and smoking were identified as risk factors for short (<5 years) latency periods. The majority of RISHN cases occurred in the oral cavity (58.3%). WES analysis showed that tumor necrosis factor and cell cycle checkpoint pathways were differentially involved in both patient groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Although case numbers were small, our cohort represents the largest case series of RISHN from a single institution to date. Clinicians must be aware of factors affecting RISHN development and latency, and risk factor identification may lead to earlier detection and prevention in the future.

Whole-Genome Sequencing Reveals Mutational Signatures Related to Radiation-Induced Sarcomas and DNA-Damage-Repair Pathways

Radiation-induced sarcoma (RIS) is a rare but serious late complication arising from radiotherapy. Despite unfavorable clinical outcomes, the genomic footprints of ionizing radiation in RIS development remain largely unknown. Hence, this study aimed to characterize RIS genomes and the genomic alterations in them. We analyzed whole-genome sequencing in 11 RIS genomes matched with normal genomes to identify somatic alterations potentially associated with RIS development. Furthermore, the abundance of mutations, mutation signatures, and structural variants in RIS were compared with those in radiation-naïve spontaneous sarcomas. The mutation abundance in RIS genomes, including one hypermutated genome, was variable. Cancer-related genes might show different types of genomic alterations. For instance, NF1, NF2, NOTCH1, NOTCH2, PIK3CA, RB1, and TP53 showed singleton somatic mutations; MYC, CDKN2A, RB1, and NF1 showed recurrent copy number alterations; and NF2, ARID1B, and RAD51B showed recurrent structural variations. The genomic footprints of nonhomologous end joining are prevalent at indels of RIS genomes compared with those in spontaneous sarcoma genomes, representing the genomic hallmark of RIS genomes. In addition, frequent chromothripsis was identified along with predisposing germline variants in the DNA-damage-repair pathways in RIS genomes. The characterization of RIS genomes on a whole-genome sequencing scale highlighted that the nonhomologous end joining pathway was associated with tumorigenesis, and it might pave the way for the development of advanced diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for RIS.

Clinical and Molecular Insights of Radiation-Induced Breast Sarcomas: Is There Hope on the Horizon for Effective Treatment of This Aggressive Disease?

Radiation-induced breast sarcomas (RIBS) are rare entities representing <1% of all primary breast malignancies, limiting most reports to small retrospective case series. They constitute a heterogeneous group of neoplasms, with high-grade angiosarcoma being the most common subtype. Other sarcoma histotypes, such as undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma and leiomyosarcoma, can also be identified. Radiation-induced breast angiosarcoma (RIBA) has an incidence of approximately 0.1% after breast-conserving therapy and arises mainly from the dermis of the irradiated breast. MYC gene amplification is highly indicative of secondary breast angiosarcomas. Their clinical presentation often mimics benign port-radiation lesions, leading to a delay in diagnosis and a lost window of opportunity for cure. Surgery with negative margins is the mainstay of treatment of localized RIBS. In the case of angiosarcoma, technical difficulties, including multifocality, infiltrative margins, and difficulty in assessing tumor margins, render surgical treatment quite challenging. A limited number of studies showed that adjuvant radiation therapy reduces local recurrences; therefore, it is proposed by many groups for large, high-grade tumors. Chemotherapy has been evaluated retrospectively in a small subset of patients, with some evidence supporting its use in angiosarcoma patients. Approximately half of patients with RIBA will show local recurrence. In the advanced setting, different therapeutic options are discussed in the review, including chemotherapy, antiangiogenic therapy, and immunotherapy, whereas the need for further research on molecular therapeutic targets is pointed out.

Nasopharyngeal Radiation-Induced Sarcoma: A Case Report

The primary treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is radiotherapy. In rare cases, patients with NPC treated with radiotherapy may develop radiation-induced sarcoma (RIS), a malignant tumor, in the field of previous radiation. The prognosis is poor, and complete surgical resection is the only potentially curative treatment. We report a case of radiation-induced nasopharyngeal sarcoma after radiotherapy for NPC with suspected lung and liver metastases in a 69-year-old woman.

Radiation-Associated Sarcoma of the Breast in a Patient With a Germline Tumor Protein p53 Mutation

Radiation-induced sarcoma of the breast is a rare complication that is primarily treated with surgical resection but in patients with advanced disease, a multimodality treatment approach is often required. This case report discusses a 37-year-old female with a history of a pT3N3M0, estrogen receptor (ER)+, progesterone receptor (PR)+, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)+, right breast cancer, and a germline tumor protein (TP) p53 mutation who underwent right modified radical mastectomy, adjuvant systemic therapy, and radiation therapy, and subsequently developed a radiation-induced sarcoma.

The patient is a 37-year-old female who has a history of pT3N3M0, ER/PR+, HER2+, and right breast cancer diagnosed in 2014. At the time of diagnosis, she had locally advanced disease and underwent right modified radical mastectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy, radiation, delayed right breast implant-based reconstruction, and left breast augmentation with mastopexy. Upon completion of adjuvant chemotherapy, she was started on hormonal therapy. In February 2020, she underwent genetic testing given her early onset of breast cancer and was found to have a germline TP53 mutation. Routine MRI for breast implant evaluation showed two irregular enhancing masses with an additional satellite lesion in the right breast. Right breast ultrasound (US)-guided biopsy revealed two separate foci of high-grade pleomorphic fibroblastic/myofibroblastic sarcoma. Further staging workup with a whole-body MRI was negative for evidence of metastatic disease. Her case was discussed in multidisciplinary sarcoma tumor board and consensus was for surgical resection. She underwent radical resection of the right chest wall masses and subcutaneous tissue, removal of right breast implant and capsulectomy, and left breast mastectomy with left breast implant removal and capsulectomy. The final pathology revealed two separate foci of high-grade pleomorphic fibroblastic/myofibroblastic sarcoma, 1.2 cm and 1.1 cm in their greatest dimensions with negative margins. Her case was re-discussed in multidisciplinary sarcoma tumor board and due to T1 size of the tumors and the negative resection margins, close surveillance with annual whole-body MRI and quarterly chest MRI imaging was recommended.

In patients with a germline TP53 mutation and breast cancer, the utilization of adjuvant radiotherapy should be considered cautiously given the increased risk of radiation-associated sarcoma.

When Benign Becomes Cancer: Malignant Degeneration of Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation, long implicated in the genesis of malignancy, is now understood to underlie an estimated 25% of all cancers. The most pertinent malignancies, to the plastic surgeon, associated with the degeneration of chronic inflammation include Marjolin's ulcer, breast implant-associated large cell lymphoma, radiation-induced sarcoma, and Kaposi's sarcoma. The cellular and genetic damage incurred by a prolonged inflammatory reaction is controlled by an increasingly understood cytokinetic system. Advances in understanding the chronic inflammatory cascade have yielded new therapeutics and therapeutic targets.

Radiation-induced leiomyosarcoma of oral cavity: Two cases with a review of literature

Radiation-induced sarcoma is a rare entity, with leiomyosarcoma (LMS) in the oral cavity post radiation being extremely rare. We report two such cases who presented with swelling in the oral cavity with a history of moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Both cases prior to the diagnosis of LMS had been managed with surgery and radiation therapy and later developed swelling in the oral cavity. The management of LMS is uncertain; hence, this article aims to spread awareness about this rare diagnosis and to know the importance of differentiation from other more common lesions including recurrence.

Pelvic Radiation-Induced Sarcoma With Rhabdomyoblastic Differentiation Following Treatment of Cervical Cancer

Radiation-induced sarcomas (RIS) are a rare long-term complication of radiation therapy, with a reported incidence of 2.5-5.5%. They usually develop several years following exposure to radiotherapy. The most common reported subtypes are undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, angiosarcoma, and leiomyosarcoma. Breast cancer is the most common primary malignancy preceding RIS, followed by uterine cervical carcinoma. Only a few cases of RIS with rhabdomyoblastic differentiation have been reported in the literature, usually following the treatment of retinoblastoma. Herein, we report a rare case of RIS with rhabdomyoblastic differentiation in the pelvic region developing 12 years after cervical cancer radiation therapy.

Radiation-Induced Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor of the Vagus Nerve Following Radiation Treatment of Cervical Paraganglioma

Radiation-induced sarcoma is a known but rare complication of radiation treatment for skull base paraganglioma. We present the cases of a female patient with multiple paraganglioma syndrome treated with external beam radiation treatment who presented 4 years later with a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the vagus nerve.

Radiation-Induced Sarcoma: A Retrospective Population-Based Study Over 34 Years in a Single Institution

AIMS

About a half of all cancer patients receive radiotherapy as part of their oncological treatment. Because of the carcinogenic effect of ionising radiation, there is a rare, but definite, risk of developing secondary malignancies, including sarcomas. The aim of this retrospective study was to describe the prevalence, patient and tumour characteristics, as well as prognosis and outcome, of patients with radiation-induced sarcomas (RIS) in a cohort of patients treated in the Sarcoma Centre at Aarhus University Hospital over a period of 34 years.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All patients who fulfilled the criteria for RIS and were treated for RIS in the period 1979-2013 were included. Patient data were retrieved from the Aarhus Sarcoma Registry and the National Danish Sarcoma Database, crosschecked with the National Register of Pathology and validated using the patients' medical records. The primary end point was the effect of surgery and treatment intent on overall survival. Overall survival is reported using the Kaplan-Meier estimates and compared using the Log-rank test. Descriptive statistics are presented for patients, tumours and treatment characteristics.

RESULTS

Of 2845 patients diagnosed with sarcoma between 1979 and 2013, 64 (2%) were diagnosed with RIS. The median interval from the original malignancy was 11 years. The most common histological type was undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (33%). Curative treatment was intended for 45 patients. Fifty patients underwent surgery, of whom 80% had microscopically radical resection (R0). The 5-year overall survival for the whole cohort was 32%. Patients who underwent surgery had a significantly better overall survival compared with patients who were not treated with surgery. In the univariate Cox proportional hazard analyses, no metastases at diagnosis, surgery and R0 resection were favourable prognostics factors of survival.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that RIS patients are unique in their epidemiology and tumour characteristics. They have a poor prognosis and need special research investigating new intensive treatment strategies to improve the outcome.

Radiation-induced osteosarcoma of the skull mimicking cutaneous tumor after treatment for frontal glioma

Radiation-induced sarcomas are recognized complications of radiation therapy and are associated with poor prognosis. Radiation-induced osteosarcoma is one of the rare types of radiation-induced sarcomas, with the risk of radiation-induced osteosarcomas being only 0.01%-0.03% among all patients treated with radiotherapy. There have been only four reported cases of radiation-induced osteosarcomas after radiotherapy for gliomas. Here, we report a unique case of radiation-induced osteosarcomas arising on the skull and extending to the skin, with a short latent period. We also review the clinical features of the previously reported cases.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for radiation-associated soft-tissue sarcoma: A case report

Radiation-associated sarcomas are rare and aggressive types of sarcomas that can occur after exposure to ionizing radiation. We examine a case of radiation-associated undifferentiated/unclassified soft-tissue sarcoma with primary disease in the chest wall. The optimal treatment of these patients is surgical resection if possible; however, the role of chemotherapy has not been well defined. The patient described herein had a central tumor in the chest wall. Since many of these patients have borderline resectable tumors, the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy may be helpful to downstage the tumors for possible surgical resection. In this case, doxorubicin plus ifosfamide chemotherapy was employed with a favorable therapeutic effect prior to being resected. To our knowledge this is the first report of greater than 90% necrosis in a patient with radiation-associated undifferentiated/unclassified soft-tissue sarcoma treated with chemotherapy for a borderline resectable mass.

Radiation-Associated Sarcoma of the Neck: Case Series and Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Radiation-associated soft tissue sarcomas of the neck (RASN) constitute a rare and aggressive tumor type.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review at the authors' institution revealed 3 patients with RASN. A systematic review of the literature was also conducted using MEDLINE, Ovid, the Cochrane Library, and Embase.

RESULTS

Patients within the authors' institutional chart review presented from 6 to 26 years after neck radiation with neck masses. All patients underwent surgical resection with clear margins, and adjuvant radiation was offered when feasible. Patients had no evidence of disease at most recent follow-up. A total of 867 articles were screened for systematic review, revealing 9 articles detailing outcomes of RASN. Studies were small and heterogeneous, precluding pooled data. The importance of complete surgical extirpation was noted.

CONCLUSIONS

Complete surgical resection appears to be the mainstay of therapy, but there are limited data on management and outcomes of patients with RASN.

Musculoskeletal complications following total body irradiation in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients

Total body irradiation (TBI) is commonly used in conditioning regimens for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to treat benign and malignant disease. Though life-saving, these therapies place patients at risk for important side effects, including musculoskeletal complications such as short stature, osteonecrosis, slipped capital femoral epiphysis, and the development of benign and malignant bone tumors. With an increasing number of HSCT survivors, there is a growing need for awareness of the musculoskeletal complications of HSCT and TBI.

A case of radiation-induced osteosarcoma of the skull presenting as a cutaneous epidermotropic tumor with a short latent period

Radiation-induced sarcoma (RIS) is an unusual but well documented tumor. The frequency of RIS of the head and neck region has been reported as 0.143%. In the literature the median interval between irradiation and development of sarcoma is 11 years. Cases of RIS with a short latent period, that is, less than 4 years are rare. We report a case of a 34-year-old female who developed an osteosarcoma of the scalp, over a previous craniotomy scar, 3 years after excision of a frontal anaplastic oligodendroglioma which had been followed by a course of 6 weeks radiotherapy (58 Gy) and 6 cycles of temozolomide. The histological features were those of a high-grade osteosarcoma with epidermotropism of tumor cells. Lymph nodes were partially replaced by high-grade metastatic osteosarcoma, with extra-nodal lymphatic tumor thrombi. To our knowledge the only other case report of post-radiation osteosarcoma with a short latency period was a case of osteosarcoma in the craniofacial bone 3 years after radiotherapy for maxillary squamous cell carcinoma. The histological finding of prominent replacement of the epidermis by osteosarcoma has not been reported before.

Patterns of recurrence and survival in sporadic, neurofibromatosis Type 1-associated, and radiation-associated malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors

OBJECTIVE Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are an aggressive group of soft tissue sarcomas that can arise sporadically, in the context of neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) or at a site of prior irradiation. Large series profiling the features and outcomes of sporadic, NF1-associated, and radiation-associated MPNSTs are limited. The goal of this study was to elucidate differences between MPNST etiologies in a large single-institution retrospective study. METHODS Patients (n = 317) were identified through the tumor registry of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Clinicopathological features were retrospectively collected. Features were compared among MPNST subtypes for patients who had sufficient clinical history (n = 289), and clinicopathological features were used to identify adverse predictors of recurrence and survival outcomes. RESULTS Five-year local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS), and disease-specific survival (DSS) estimates were 56.6%, 49.6%, and 53.6%, respectively, for the high-grade MPNST cohort. Five-year DSS was lower in NF1-associated and radiation-associated MPNST than in sporadic MPNST (52%, 47%, and 67%, respectively, p = 0.140). Patients with radiation-associated MPNST had worse 5-year LRFS than those with the sporadic and NF1-associated subtypes (RT-associated vs sporadic, p = 0.010; RT-associated vs NF1-associated, p = 0.232). Truncally located tumors, positive surgical margins, local recurrence, and metastasis were predictors of adverse DSS in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS Radiation-associated MPNSTs are associated with poorer local recurrence-free and disease-specific survival than sporadic and NF1-associated tumors. NF1-associated MPNSTs may have worse survival outcomes owing to large tumor size, compromising truncal location, and lower rate of negative resection margins compared with sporadic tumors.

Radiation-induced low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma of the chest wall nine years subsequent to radiotherapy for breast carcinoma: A case report

The present study reports a case of low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma that occurred in a 62-year-old woman 9 years subsequent to whole breast irradiation for a carcinoma of the left breast, and 18 years following chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT) for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL; diagnosed at the age of 43). The patient was 53 years of age when a cT2N0M0 stage IIA breast tumor was identified and excised. A 2.5 cm diameter nodule with dimpling in the upper-outer region of the left breast was detected. Pathological examination revealed that the tumor was an invasive ductal carcinoma, of a solid tubular type. The patient was treated with post-surgical whole breast RT. The left breast received 46 Gy in 23 fractions (2 Gy per fraction) for 4 weeks and 3 days, followed by a cone down boost of 14 Gy in 7 fractions (2 Gy per fraction); therefore a total dose of 60 Gy in 30 fractions was administered. In total, 9 years subsequent to RT, the patient observed a small lump in the left chest wall. The patient underwent excision of the tumor and pectoralis major fascia. Microscopically, the tumor consisted of atypical spindle cells with myxoid stroma. Pathologists concluded that the tumor was a low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma. Since the tumor developed from tissue in a previously irradiated region, it was considered to be RT-induced, and was classified using the radiation-induced sarcoma (RIS) criteria as dictated by Cahan. Although the majority of RIS cases are angiosarcomas, a rare, low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma was observed in the present study. The present study hypothesizes that there may have been an overlap region between the RT for supraclavicular nodes of NHL and the whole breast RT for primary breast cancer, due to the results of a retrospective dose reconstruction undertaken by the present study. The patient remained clinically stable for 4 years thereafter, until 2008 when the patient experienced a local relapse and underwent surgery. On 19 October 2011, the patient succumbed to RIS. The current study suggests that the RT history of a patient requires consideration due to the possible development of RIS, including the development of a low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma, which may lead to a poor prognosis.

Postirradiation Leiomyosarcoma of Rectum Presenting as a Polyp: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Radiation-induced leiomyosarcomas of the gastrointestinal tract are rare. Very few cases have been documented to date. The histological similarity to gastrointestinal stromal tumor has raised doubts if many of the cases originally reported to be leiomyosarcoma before the widespread use of CD117 were indeed gastrointestinal stromal tumors. We present a case of post-irradiation leiomyosarcoma presenting as a rectal polyp and review the literature.

Radiation-Induced Intraspinal Chondrosarcoma: A Case Report

Study Design Case report and review of the literature. Objective To report a unique case of an intraspinal chondrosarcoma that was diagnosed 18 years after radiotherapy for a cervical carcinoma and its remarkably unusual clinical presentation. Methods A retrospective case description of an intraspinal mass lesion that occurred 6 weeks after previous spinal surgery. Results Within ∼9 weeks, the tumor had infiltrated the peritoneal cavity and reached the lumbar subcutaneous tissue. Conclusion Radiation-induced sarcomas are rare, are highly aggressive, and may be difficult to diagnose. Furthermore, the only means of achieving long-term survival is through early and extensive surgery.

Irradiation-induced bone sarcoma in a patient treated for cervix cancer 28 years earlier

AIM OF THE STUDY

To present a case of a patient with cervical carcinoma in stage IIA who was diagnosed with pelvic bone sarcoma 28 years after radiotherapy.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 37-year-old woman with IIA cervix cancer was treated with external beam irradiation and brachytherapy. The patient had undergone conventionally fractionated external beam irradiation using the "box" technique, with the total dose of 50 Gy and brachytherapy with radium applicators (intrauterine tube and fornix applicator) with the dose of 60 Gy calculated at point A. After treatment she was followed up for 2 years. Twenty-six years later, inoperable pelvic bone sarcoma was diagnosed within the irradiated field. The clinical course was aggressive and rapid progression during chemotherapy was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

For patients receiving radiotherapy, long-term careful follow-up is mandatory due to second cancer risk. In the case of any suspicious symptoms, such patients need proper diagnosis to detect any disease as early as possible.