RESUMO
Extrauterine pelvic hemangiopericytomas are rare tumors with malignant potential. Herein, we report a case of a 55-year-old male who presented with hydronephrosis and obstructive urinary symptoms. Cystoscopy, imaging and biopsy were unable to provide a definitive preoperative diagnosis. He underwent pelvic mass resection, and final pathology revealed malignant hemangiopericytoma. The patient is being closely monitored with serial imaging, and remains disease-free at 23 months of post-operative follow-up without adjuvant therapy. Our experience and evidence from the existing literature suggests that given the rarity of these tumors, adherence to standard oncologic principles is necessary to ensure adequate resection and appropriate follow-up.
RESUMO
Precision medicine with molecularly directed therapeutics is rapidly expanding in all subspecialties of oncology. Molecular analysis and treatment monitoring require tumor tissue, but resections or biopsies are not always feasible due to tumor location, patient safety, and cost. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) offer a safe, low-cost, and repeatable tissue source as an alternative to invasive biopsies. "Liquid biopsies" can be collected from a peripheral blood draw and analyzed to isolate, enumerate, and molecularly characterize CTCs. While there is deserved excitement surrounding new CTC technologies, studies are ongoing to determine whether these cells can provide reliable and accurate information about molecular drivers of cancer progression and inform treatment decisions. This review focuses on the current status of CTCs in genitourinary (GU) cancer. We will review currently used methodologies to isolate and detect CTCs, their use as predictive biomarkers, and highlight emerging research and applications of CTC analysis in GU malignancies.