An overview on liposarcoma subtypes: Genetic alterations and recent advances in therapeutic strategies.

Liposarcoma (LPS) is a rare malignancy of adipocytic differentiation. According to World Health Organization classification, LPS comprises of four principle subtypes Atypical lipomatous tumor/Well-differentiated liposarcoma (ATL/WDLPS), Dedifferentiated liposarcoma (WDLPS), Myxoid liposarcoma (MLPS), and Pleomorphic liposarcoma (PLPS). Each subtype can develop at any location and shows distinct clinical behavior and treatment sensitivity. ATL/ WDLPS subtype has a higher incidence rate, low recurrence, and is insensitive to radiation and chemotherapy. DDLPS is the focal progression of WDLPS, which is aggressive and highly metastasizing. MLPS is sensitive to radiation and chemotherapy, with a higher recurrence rate and metastasis. PLPS subtype is highly metastasizing, has a poor prognosis, and exhibiting higher recurrence rate. Initial histological analysis provides information for the characterization of LPS subtypes', further molecular and genetic analysis provides certain subtype specifications, such as gene amplifications and gene fusions. Such molecular genetic alterations will be useful as therapeutic targets in various cancers, including the LPS subtypes. A wide range of novel therapeutic agents based on genetic alterations that aim to target LPS subtypes specifically are under investigation. This review summarizes the LPS subtype classification, their molecular genetic characteristics, and the implications of genetic alterations in therapeutics.

Angiosarcoma of the head and neck: A clinicopathologic study with special emphasis on diagnostic pitfalls.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Angiosarcoma (AS) is a rare malignant vascular tumor that phenotypically and functionally recapitulate normal endothelium. They constitute approximately 2-4% of soft tissue sarcomas. We present 36 cases of head and neck AS diagnosed for 11 years at a tertiary care hospital in South India to analyze the clinical, pathological, and immunophenotypic profiles with special emphasis on their differential diagnoses and diagnostic pitfalls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Head and neck AS diagnosed from January 2006 to December 2017 were included. Clinical characteristics, treatment received, and follow-up data were obtained from electronic medical records. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained slides and immunohistochemistry (IHC) slides were reviewed, and the histomorphological features, immunohistochemical staining, and their utility in resolving differential diagnosis were assessed. RESULTS: Twenty-two females and 14 males were diagnosed with head and neck AS in the study period. Histomorphological patterns observed were mixed vasoformative and solid (n = 22), pure vasoformative (n = 13), and pure solid (n = 1). Neoplastic cells showed epithelioid, spindly, signet cell-like, clear cell, and rhabdoid morphology. CD31 was positive in 100% of cases, and CD34 was positive in 40% of cases. Differential diagnoses included melanoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and large-cell lymphoma. Surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy were the treatment modalities used. Twelve patients developed local recurrence, and 12 patients developed metastasis on follow-up. Twenty-five patients died of disease, on an average of 24 months after diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Head and neck AS pose a significant diagnostic challenge due to their broad morphologic spectrum. Proper clinicopathologic correlation is necessary to avoid misdiagnosis.

A multiplex immunoprofiling approach for detecting the co-localization of breast cancer biomarkers using a combination of Alexafluor - Quantum dot conjugates and a panel of chromogenic dyes.

There is a plethora of information embedded in a tissue section that the conventional IHC understands only partially. Predictive biomarkers for precision immuno-oncology heavily dependent on the spatial arrangement of cells and the co-expression patterns in the tissue sections. Here we have explored the versatility of indirect multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) and indirect multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) for the labeling of breast cancer prognostic markers in routinely processed, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues at high resolution. The multiplex immunohistochemistry protocol utilized sequential staining for the chromogenic immunolabelling of Estrogen Receptor α (ERα) or Progesterone Receptor (PR), Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2), and Nucleoside diphosphate kinase 1 (NM23) by multicolor chromogens in different combinations. A feasible workflow for multiplex immunofluorescence was also effectively standardized for ERα, PR, and HER2 using combinations of commercially available Alexa Fluor and Quantum dots semiconductor nanocrystal conjugated secondary antibodies. Multiplex chromogenic immunolabeling revealed differential expression of the markers on the same slide. Kappa statistics revealed perfect agreement with uniplex immunohistochemistry. For multiplex fluorescence approach, surface receptor detection using Quantum dots and Alexa fluor dyes for cytoplasmic or nuclear markers performed well for profiling multiple co-localized biomarkers on a single paraffin tissue section. The technique developed reveals additional information such as co-expression, spatial relationships, and tumor heterogeneity, providing a deeper insight into developing combinatorial therapeutic strategies in clinical care. This high throughput workflow complements the outcomes of traditional IHC while saving tissue, time, labour, and reagents.

Spectrum of malignant scalp tumours and its impact on management-a tertiary care cancer centre experience.

BACKGROUND: Tumours on the scalp are diverse and often exhibit site- and histology-specific characteristics. Reconstructing the scalp after oncological resection has always been challenging because of its unique anatomy. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective review of patients with malignant scalp tumour operated on at a single institution over 10 years was performed. Data were collected and analysed regarding the scalp tumour profile, treatment, and the outcome of these procedures. RESULTS: Of the 66 patients in our study, 33 (50%) had SCC. In addition to this, 21% were sarcomas, 17% were appendageal carcinomas, 11% were BCCs, and 1% was neuroendocrine carcinoma. Cortical erosion was observed in 6 patients in the CT imaging, all with SCC histology. Among the eight patients with pathological nodal involvement, three had angiosarcoma, three had SCC, one had appendageal carcinoma, and one had neuroendocrine carcinoma. The mean surgical defect size was 67.4 cm2. The surgical defect was reconstructed with local flaps in 58% of patients and primary closure in 27%. Local and systemic recurrence was noted in 25% of patients. Tumour size more than 6 cm, tumour histology (SCC & sarcoma), unplanned margin-positive excision, and residual disease in re-excision had higher recurrence, even though the p-value was not significant. CONCLUSION: Scalp tumours are heterogeneous in their clinical profiles. Often, its tumour biology and microscopic extent are underestimated. High suspicion, histological diagnosis, and clear surgical margins are all requirements in successfully treating scalp tumours. In order to minimize morbidity and restore an aesthetic and functional outcome, it is critical to use the simplest scalp reconstruction whenever possible.

Co-expression of galectin-3 and vimentin in triple negative breast cancer cells promotes tumor progression, metastasis and survival.

BACKGROUND: Lack of druggable targets and complex expression heterogeneity of known targets is common among TNBC subtypes. An enhanced expression of galectin-3 in TNBCs has already been documented. We have observed a tumor progression-dependent galectin-3 expression in TNBCs compared to adjacent epithelium and non TNBCs. OBJECTIVE: To unravel the association of galectin- 3 in tumor progression, aggressiveness and drug resistance in TNBC patients. METHODS: Galectin-3 expression in 489 breast cancer tissues was correlated with clinicopathological features and the results were validated in cell lines and mouse model by silencing galectin-3 using shRNA and the proteins were profiled by western blot and qRT-PCR. Protein interaction was analyzed by GFP Trap and Mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Galectin-3 expression correlated with tumor stage in TNBC and a lower galectin-3 expression was associated with poor patient survival. The positive correlation between galectin-3, vimentin and CD44 expression, pinpoints galectin-3 contribution to epithelial to mesenchymal transition, drug resistance and stemness. Vimentin was found as an interacting partner of galectin-3. Duplexing of galecin-3 and vimentin in patient samples revealed the presence of tumor cells co-expressing both galectin-3 and vimentin. In vitro studies also showed its role in tumor cell survival and metastatic potential, elementary for tumor progression. In vivo studies further confirmed its metastatic potential. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor progression dependent expression pattern of galectin 3 was found to indicate prognosis. Co-expression of galectin-3 and vimentin in tumor cells promotes tumor dissemination, survival and its metastatic capability in TNBCs.

YAP transduction drives triple-negative breast cancer aggressiveness through modulating the EGFR‒AKT axis in patient-derived xenograft cells.

Aside from the high prevalence of incidents of breast cancer, the high grade of heterogeneity and the dearth of standard treatment guidelines make triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) the most refractory subtype. Though still in its infancy, the Hippo pathway has been known to play a critical role in tumorigenesis. However, the molecular mechanics through which the pathway exploits the breast cancer (BC) cell vulnerability are largely unexplored. In this study, we observed a relatively higher expression of the Hippo effector, yes-associated protein (YAP), in TNBC patients compared to non-TNBC patients. Thus, we sought to investigate the contribution of Hippo signaling in TNBC by focusing particularly on transducers of the pathway. Impeding YAP transactivation by means of RNA interference or pharmacological inhibition was carried out, followed by evaluation of the subsequent biological changes at the molecular level. We successfully translated the observed data into a TNBC patient-derived xenograft cell line (PDXC). We discovered that nuclear translocation of YAP was associated with TNBC aggressive characteristics and activated the EGFR-AKT axis. Here, we explored the putative role of the Hippo transducer in enhancing cancer hostility and observed that YAP transduction drives proliferation, migration, and survival of TNBC by preventing cellular apoptosis through mediating EGFR activation. These observations suggest that YAP represents a major vulnerability in TNBC cells that may be exploited therapeutically.

Evaluation of Factors Affecting Margin Positivity and Persistent Disease After Leep for Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia.

BACKGROUND: Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is the precursor lesion of cervical cancer. Untreated high-grade CIN significantly increases the risk of developing invasive cancer. Conization is the main treatment. Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) is the most common conization method used. The study aims to assess the risk factors associated with positive margin and persistent disease after LEEP for CIN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 156 patients who underwent LEEP during 2011-2018 included in the study. We analyzed the socio-demographic characteristics, colposcopy details, dimensions of LEEP specimen (thickness, length, volume) and histopathology (margin positivity, grade). Persistent disease was histologically confirmed by repeat LEEP and hysterectomy. RESULTS: Margin positivity was noted in 33.3% (52) patients. Residual disease was noted in 26.2% (41) of the patients who had undergone a repeat LEEP or hysterectomy. There was a significant association between margin positivity and Swede score of 5 or more, a high-grade lesion on IFCPC score, inner margin involvement, LEEP done in a single pass. The cutoff for margin positivity was length of 0.513 cm and thickness of 0.35 cm. A significant association between residual disease and margin positivity, postmenopausal status, Swede score of 5 or more, high-grade lesion on IFCPC score, inner margin involvement was observed. The chance of residual disease was less if the cone specimen had minimum length of 0.775 cm and minimum thickness of 0.65 cm. CONCLUSION: When in doubt regarding the margins, it is always better to perform multiple passes for lesions with a high Swede score with an initial smear of HSIL. Postmenopausal women with inner margin positivity have a high chance of residual disease and should be either kept on close follow-up or consider a repeat procedure.

Galectin-3: A factotum in carcinogenesis bestowing an archery for prevention.

Cancer metastasis and therapy resistance are the foremost hurdles in oncology at the moment. This review aims to pinpoint the functional aspects of a unique multifaceted glycosylated molecule in both intracellular and extracellular compartments of a cell namely galectin-3 along with its metastatic potential in different types of cancer. All materials reviewed here were collected through the search engines PubMed, Scopus, and Google scholar. Among the 15 galectins identified, the chimeric gal-3 plays an indispensable role in the differentiation, transformation, and multi-step process of tumor metastasis. It has been implicated in the molecular mechanisms that allow the cancer cells to survive in the intravascular milieu and promote tumor cell extravasation, ultimately leading to metastasis. Gal-3 has also been found to have a pivotal role in immune surveillance and pro-angiogenesis and several studies have pointed out the importance of gal-3 in establishing a resistant phenotype, particularly through the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process. Additionally, some recent findings suggest the use of gal-3 inhibitors in overcoming therapeutic resistance. All these reports suggest that the deregulation of these specific lectins at the cellular level could inhibit cancer progression and metastasis. A more systematic study of glycosylation in clinical samples along with the development of selective gal-3 antagonists inhibiting the activity of these molecules at the cellular level offers an innovative strategy for primary cancer prevention.

Risk-Based Selection of Individuals for Oral Cancer Screening.

PURPOSE: We evaluated proof of principle for resource-efficient, risk-based screening through reanalysis of the Kerala Oral Cancer Screening Trial. METHODS: The cluster-randomized trial included three triennial rounds of visual inspection (seven clusters, n = 96,516) versus standard of care (six clusters, n = 95,354) and up to 9 years of follow-up. We developed a Cox regression-based risk prediction model for oral cancer incidence. Using this risk prediction model to adjust for the oral cancer risk imbalance between arms, through intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses that accounted for cluster randomization, we calculated the relative (hazard ratios [HRs]) and absolute (rate differences [RDs]) screening efficacy on oral cancer mortality and compared screening efficiency across risk thresholds. RESULTS: Oral cancer mortality was reduced by 27% in the screening versus control arms (HR = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.98), including a 29% reduction in ever-tobacco and/or ever-alcohol users (HR = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.51 to 0.99). This relative efficacy was similar across oral cancer risk quartiles (P interaction = .59); consequently, the absolute efficacy increased with increasing model-predicted risk-overall trial: RD in the lowest risk quartile (Q1) = 0.5/100,000 versus 13.4/100,000 in the highest quartile (Q4), P trend = .059 and ever-tobacco and/or ever-alcohol users: Q1 RD = 1.0/100,000 versus Q4 = 22.5/100,000; P trend = .026. In a population akin to the Kerala trial, screening of 100% of individuals would provide 27.1% oral cancer mortality reduction at number needed to screen (NNS) = 2,043. Restriction of screening to ever-tobacco and/or ever-alcohol users with no additional risk stratification would substantially enhance efficiency (43.4% screened for 23.3% oral cancer mortality reduction at NNS = 1,029), whereas risk prediction model-based screening of 50% of ever-tobacco and/or ever-alcohol users at highest risk would further enhance efficiency with little loss in program sensitivity (21.7% screened for 19.7% oral cancer mortality reduction at NNS = 610). CONCLUSION: In the Kerala trial, the efficacy of oral cancer screening was greatest in individuals at highest oral cancer risk. These results provide proof of principle that risk-based oral cancer screening could substantially enhance the efficiency of screening programs.

Prognostic Implications of DNA Repair, Ploidy and Telomerase in the Malignant Transformation Risk Assessment of Leukoplakia.

BACKGROUND: Although leukoplakia shows a higher risk for malignant transformation to oral cancer, currently there are no clinically relevant biomarker which can predict the potentially high risk leukoplakia. This study aimed to investigate the genetic alterations such as DNA ploidy, telomerase expression and DNA repair capacity as predictive markers of malignant transformation risk of leukoplakia. METHODS: The study was initiated in September 2005 and patients were followed up to March 2014. Two hundred patients with oral leukoplakia, 100 patients with oral cancer and 100 healthy, age and sex matched adults with normal oral mucosa as controls were recruited. The DNA ploidy content was measured by high resolution flow cytometry, level of telomerase expression was identified by TRAP assay and intrinsic DNA repair capacity was measured by mutagen induced chromosome sensitivity assay of cultured peripheral blood lymphocytes. The Chi-square test or Fisher's Exact test was used for comparison of categorical variables between biomarkers. A p value less than or equal to 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Analysis was performed with SPSS software version 16. Logistic regression was used to find the association between the dependent and three independent variables. RESULTS: There was significant difference in the distribution of ploidy status, telomerase activity and DNA repair capacity among control, leukoplakia and oral cancer group (p<0.001). When the molecular markers were compared with histological grading of leukoplakia, both DNA ploidy analysis and telomerase activity showed statistical significance (p<0.001). Both aneuploidy and telomerase positivity was found to coincide with high-risk sites of leukoplakia and were statistically significant (p.

ß-hCG-induced mutant BRCA1 ignites drug resistance in susceptible breast tissue.

ß-hCG expression in breast cancer is highly controversial with reports supporting both protective and tumorigenic effects. It has also been reported that risk of breast cancer at an early age is increased with full-term pregnancies if a woman is a BRCA1 mutation carrier. We have already demonstrated that BRCA1-defective cells express high levels of ß-hCG and that when BRCA1 is restored, ß-hCG level is reduced. Also, BRCA1 can bind to the promoter and reduce the levels of ß-hCG. ß-hCG induces tumorigenicity in BRCA1-defective cells by directly binding to TGFBRII and induces TGFBRII-mediated cell proliferation. In this study, we analyzed the mechanism of action of ß-hCG on BRCA1 expression and its influence on drug sensitivity in breast cancer cells. We demonstrate that ß-hCG induces mutant BRCA1 protein expression in BRCA1 mutant cells; however, in BRCA1 wild-type cells, ß-hCG reduced wild-type BRCA1 protein expression. Transcriptionally, ß-hCG could induce Slug/LSD1-mediated repression of wild-type and mutant BRCA1 messenger RNA levels. However, ß-hCG induces HSP90-mediated stabilization of mutant BRCA1 and hence the overexpression of mutant BRCA1 protein, resulting in partial restoration of homologous recombination repair of damaged DNA. This contributes to drug resistance to HSP90 inhibitor 17AAG in BRCA1-defective cancer cells. A combination of HSP90 inhibitor and TGFBRII inhibitor has shown to sensitize ß-hCG expressing BRCA1-defective breast cancers to cell death. Targeting the ß-hCG-HSP90-TGFBRII axis could prove an effective treatment strategy for BRCA1-mutated breast tumors.

Brcal Defective Breast Cancer Cells Induce in vitro Transformation of Cancer Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) to Metastasis Associated Fibroblasts (MAF).

It is known that Cancer Associated Fibroblast (CAFs) from the primary tumor site can accompany cancer cells to a secondary site during the process of metastasis. We hypothesize that these CAFs could be transformed to an altered cell type, which can be called as Metastasis Associated Fibroblasts (MAF) in turn can support, and convoy cancer cells for metastasis. There are no published reports that have characterized and distinguished CAFs from MAF. It is well established that some of the cancer cells within the tumor mass accumulate novel mutations prior to metastasis. Hence, we speculated that mutations in the tumor suppressor gene, BRCA1, which is already reported to induce metastasis via abnormal expression of Ezrin, Radixin and Moesin (ERM), could generate MAF. In the present study, we demonstrate for the first time that CAFs isolated from primary breast cancer tissues when co-cultured with BRCA1 mutated HCC1937 cells transform CAFs to MAF in vitro. As expected, MAF augmented proliferation, migration and invasion along with over-expression of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, Ezrin and CCL5, thereby facilitating metastasis. Therefore, we inhibited Ezrin and CCL5 in vitro in MAF and observed that the migration and invasion abilities of these cells were attenuated. This highlights the intriguing possibilities of combination therapy using MAF inhibitors as anti-metastatic agents along with anticancer drugs, to control the metastatic spread from primary tumor site.

Significance of DNA Replication Licensing Proteins (MCM2, MCM5 and CDC6), p16 and p63 as Markers of Premalignant Lesions of the Uterine Cervix: Its Usefulness to Predict Malignant Potential

Cervical cancer continues to be a leading cancer among women in many parts of the world. Nation-wide screening with the Pap smear has not been implemented in India due to the lack of adequately trained cytologists. Identification of biomarkers to predict malignant potential of the identified low risk lesions is essential to avoid excessive retesting and follow up. The current study analyzed the expression patterns of DNA replication licensing proteins, proliferation inhibitor protein p16INK4A and tumor suppresser protein p63 in cervical tissues and smears to assess the ability of these proteins to predict progression. Methods: Cervical smears and corresponding tissues were immunostained using mouse monoclonal antibodies against MCM2, MCM5, CDC6, p16 and p63. Smears were treated with a non-ionic surfactant sodium deoxycholate prior to immuno-cytochemistry. The standard ABC method of immunohistochemistry was performed using DAB as the chromogen. The immunostained samples were scored on a 0-3+ scale and staining patterns of smears were compared with those of tissue sections. Sensitivity and specificity for each of these markers were calculated taking histopathology as the gold standard. Result: All the markers were positive in malignant and dysplastic cells. MCM protein expression was found to be up-regulated in LSIL, HSIL and in malignancies to a greater extent than p16 as well as p63. CDC6 protein was preferentially expressed in high grade lesions and in invasive squamous cell carcinomas. A progressive increase in the expression of DNA replication licensing proteins in accordance with the grades of cervical intraepithelial lesion suggests these markers as significant to predict malignant potential of low grade lesions in cervical smears. Conclusion: MCMs and CDC6 can be applied as biomarkers to predict malignant potential of low grade lesions identified in screening programmes and retesting / follow up might be confined to those with high risk lesions alone so that overuse of resources can be safely avoided.

Development and validation of a protocol for optimizing the use of paraffin blocks in molecular epidemiological studies: The example from the HPV-AHEAD study.

Worldwide use of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks (FFPE) is extensive in diagnosis and research. Yet, there is a lack of optimized/standardized protocols to process the blocks and verify the quality and presence of the targeted tissue. In the context of an international study on head and neck cancer (HNC)-HPV-AHEAD, a standardized protocol for optimizing the use of FFPEs in molecular epidemiology was developed and validated. First, a protocol for sectioning the FFPE was developed to prevent cross-contamination and distributed between participating centers. Before processing blocks, all sectioning centers underwent a quality control to guarantee a satisfactory training process. The first and last sections of the FFPEs were used for histopathological assessment. A consensus histopathology evaluation form was developed by an international panel of pathologists and evaluated for four indicators in a pilot analysis in order to validate it: 1) presence/type of tumor tissue, 2) identification of other tissue components that could affect the molecular diagnosis and 3) quality of the tissue. No HPV DNA was found in sections from empty FFPE generated in any histology laboratories of HPV-AHEAD consortium and all centers passed quality assurance for processing after quality control. The pilot analysis to validate the histopathology form included 355 HNC cases. The form was filled by six pathologists and each case was randomly assigned to two of them. Most samples (86%) were considered satisfactory. Presence of >50% of invasive carcinoma was observed in all sections of 66% of cases. Substantial necrosis (>50%) was present in <2% of samples. The concordance for the indicators targeted to validate the histopathology form was very high (kappa > 0.85) between first and last sections and fair to high between pathologists (kappa/pabak 0.21-0.72). The protocol allowed to correctly process without signs of contamination all FFPE of the study. The histopathology evaluation of the cases assured the presence of the targeted tissue, identified the presence of other tissues that could disturb the molecular diagnosis and allowed the assessment of tissue quality.

Role of mucosal high-risk human papillomavirus types in head and neck cancers in central India.

Mucosal high-risk (HR) human papillomaviruses (HPV) cause a subset of head and neck cancers (HNC). The HPV-attributable fraction of HNC varies substantially between countries. Although HNC has a very high incidence in the Indian subcontinent, information on the contribution of HPV infection is limited. Here, we evaluated the HPV-attributable fraction in HNC (N = 364) collected in a central region of India. HNC from three different anatomical subsites were included, namely, oral cavity (n = 252), oropharynx (n = 53) and hypopharynx/larynx (n = 59). In this retrospective study, HPV-driven HNC were defined by presence of both viral DNA and RNA. Overexpression of p16INK4a was also evaluated. HR-HPV DNA was detected in 13.7% of the cases; however, only 2.7% were positive for both HPV DNA and RNA. The highest percentage of HPV DNA/RNA double positivity was found in oropharynx (9.4%), followed by larynx (1.7%) and oral cavity (1.6%) (p = 0.02). More than half of HPV DNA/RNA-positive cases were p16INK4a -negative, while a considerable number of HPV RNA-negative cases were p16INK4a -positive (17.9%). HPV16 was the major type associated with HNC (60.0%), although cases positive for HPV18, 35 and 56 were also detected. Our data indicate that the proportion and types of mucosal HR-HPV associated with HNC in this central Indian region differ from those in other (developed) parts of the world. This may be explained by differences in smoking and/or sexual behaviour compared with North America and northern Europe. Moreover, we show that p16INK4a staining appeared not to be a good surrogate marker of HPV transformation in the Indian HNC cases.

Synovial Sarcoma of the Larynx: Report of a Case and Review of Literature.

Sarcomas account for less than 1% of malignant neoplasms arising in the head and neck in adults. Laryngeal synovial sarcoma is an extremely rare form of laryngeal malignancy with less than 20 cases reported in the literature. We report the case of a 48-year-old man with synovial sarcoma of the larynx. He underwent excision of the tumor followed by radiation. He is alive in remission at 36 months. The literature on synovial sarcoma of the larynx is reviewed.

A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Phase IIB Trial of Curcumin in Oral Leukoplakia.

Oral leukoplakia is a potentially malignant lesion of the oral cavity, for which no effective treatment is available. We investigated the effectiveness of curcumin, a potent inhibitor of NF-κB/COX-2, molecules perturbed in oral carcinogenesis, to treat leukoplakia. Subjects with oral leukoplakia (n = 223) were randomized (1:1 ratio) to receive orally, either 3.6 g/day of curcumin (n = 111) or placebo (n = 112), for 6 months. The primary endpoint was clinical response obtained by bi-dimensional measurement of leukoplakia size at recruitment and 6 months. Histologic response, combined clinical and histologic response, durability and effect of long-term therapy for an additional six months in partial responders, safety and compliance were the secondary endpoints. Clinical response was observed in 75 (67.5%) subjects [95% confidence interval (CI), 58.4-75.6] in the curcumin and 62 (55.3%; 95% CI, 46.1-64.2) in placebo arm (P = 0.03). This response was durable, with 16 of the 18 (88.9%; 95% CI, 67.2-96.9) subjects with complete response in curcumin and 7 of 8 subjects (87.5%) in placebo arm, demonstrating no relapse after 6 months follow-up. Difference in histologic response between curcumin and placebo was not significant (HR, 0.88, 95% CI, 0.45-1.71; P = 0.71). Combined clinical and histologic response assessment indicated a significantly better response with curcumin (HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.27-0.92; P = 0.02). Continued therapy, in subjects with partial response at 6 months, did not yield additional benefit. The treatment did not raise any safety concerns. Treatment of oral leukoplakia with curcumin (3.6 g for six months), thus was well tolerated and demonstrated significant and durable clinical response for 6 months. Cancer Prev Res; 9(8); 683-91. ©2016 AACR.

Ewing's Sarcoma of the Cranial Vault.

Primary Ewing's sarcoma (EWS) arising from cranial bones is rare and accounts for only 1%-4% of all EWS. We report the case of a 15-year-old girl with EWS of the frontoparietal region of the skull. She underwent excision following which she received combination chemotherapy with vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide alternating with ifosfamide, and VP16 and local radiation of 45 Gy. She is alive in complete remission at 40 months.

The role of chemokine receptor 4 and its ligand stromal cell derived factor 1 in breast cancer.

Breast tumour cells express the chemokine receptor C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) and frequently metastasize to organs with an abundant source of CXCR4 ligand, stromal cell derived factor1 (SDF1). For this reason, CXCR4/SDF1 has garnered much interest as a target for therapeutic intervention. The present study is an attempt to correlate the CXCR4/SDF1 expression patterns with clinicopathological factors, patient survival, and its coexistence and response to 17-ß estradiol (E2) and 4-hydoxytamoxifen (4OHT) in breast cancer cells. Immunohistochemistry and Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction were performed to assess the protein and gene level expressions of CXCR4 and SDF1 in normal and tumour breast tissue. The effect of E2 and 4OHT on expression of CXCR4 and SDF1 in breast cancer cells were assessed using RT-PCR, Immunofluorescence microscopy and colocalization. The CXCR4 and SDF1 were over expressed and have a significant correlation with each other as well as with histological grade, tumour size and poor survival of patients. The study also showed a modulatory effect of E2 and 4OHT on the expression and colocalization of CXCR4/SDF1 in breast cancer cells. The correlation of CXCR4/SDF1 with other parameters and modulatory effect of E2 and 4OHT on the expression and colocalization of CXCR4/SDF1 in breast cancer cells are likely to open up new avenues for the successful management of this malignancy.

Odontogenic ghost cell carcinoma with pulmonary metastasis.

Odontogenic ghost cell carcinoma (OGCC) is an exceptionally rare malignant odontogenic epithelial tumor. It is characterized by ameloblastic-like islands of epithelial cells with aberrant keratinization in the form of ghost cells with varying amounts of dysplastic dentin. Malignant histological characteristics include infiltration, cellular pleomorphism, numerous mitosis and necrosis. Its biological behavior varies from slow-growing locally invasive lesions to rapidly growing highly aggressive tumors. OGCC metastasizing to distant sites is extremely rare. Only three cases of metastasis have been reported in literature. We are reporting the case of a 54-year-old male patient who presented with tender swelling in the malar region. Histopathological examination revealed OGCC and he received postoperative radiotherapy. Two years later, he presented with a lung mass. Biopsy from the lung lesion showed the same morphology as that of maxillary tumor with scattered ghost cells. This case points to the aggressive behavior of OGCC and its metastatic potential. It also highlights the need for long-term follow-up of these patients.