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The histological diagnosis of sarcoma can be difficult as it sometimes requires the combination of morphological and immunophenotypic analyses with molecular tests. A total of 2705 tissue samples of sarcoma consecutively collected from 2006 until 2020 that had undergone molecular analysis were assessed to evaluate their diagnostic utility compared with histological assessments. A total of 3051 molecular analyses were performed, including 1484 gene fusions tested by c/qRT–PCR, 992 gene rearrangements analysed by FISH, 433 analyses of the gene status of MDM2, 126 mutational analyses and 16 NGS analysis. Of the samples analysed, 68% were from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue and 32% were from frozen tissue. C/qRT–PCR and FISH analyses were conclusive on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue in 74% and 76% of samples, respectively, but the combination of the two methods gave us conclusive results in 96% and 89% of frozen and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues, respectively. We demonstrate the utility of c/qRT–PCR and FISH for sarcoma diagnosis and that each has advantages in specific contexts. We conclude that it is possible to accurately predict the sarcoma subtype using a panel of different subtype-specific FISH probes and c/qRT–PCR assays, thereby greatly facilitating the differential diagnosis of these tumours.

Background: Heterozygous isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations occur in about half of conventional central bone chondrosarcomas (CCBC). Aim of this study was to assess the frequency and prognostic impact of IDH mutations in high grade CCBC patients. Methods: 64 patients with G2 and G3 CCBC were included. DNA extraction, PCR amplification of IDH1/2 exon 4s, and sequencing analysis with Sanger were performed. Results: IDH mutations were detected in 24/54 patients (44%): IDH1 in 18, IDH2 in 4, and both IDH1/2 in 2 patients. The frequency of mutations was 37% in G2 vs. 69% in G3 (p = 0.039), and 100% in three Ollier disease associated chondrosarcoma. 5-year overall survival (OS) at 124 months (range 1-166) was 51%, with no significant difference based on the IDHmutational status: 61% in IDHmut vs 44% in IDH wild type (IDHwt). The 5-year relapse free survival (RFS) was 33% (95% CI:10-57) for IDHmut vs 57% (95%CI: 30-77) for IDHwt. Progression free survival (PFS) was 25% (95%CI:1-65) IDHmut vs. 16% (95%CI: 0.7-52) IDHwt. 55% (5/9) of IDHmut G2 became higher grade at the recurrence, as compared with 25% (3/12) of G2 IDHwt. Conclusions: This study shows a higher frequency of IDH mutations in G3 CCBC as compared with G2. No significant differences in OS, RFS, and PFS by mutational status were detected. After relapse, a higher rate of G3 for IDH mutated CCBC was observed.

Clear cell sarcoma is a rare mesenchymal tumor with melanocytic differentiation, firstly described by Enziger in 1965. It accounts for less than 1% of all soft tissue sarcomas and occurs predominantly in the extremities of adults. Primary clear cell sarcoma of bone is even rarer; current literature consists of only 13 cases with a mean age of presentation of 45-year-old, ranging from 18 to 81. Because of the overlapping expression of melanocytic markers, the differential diagnosis should be addressed with metastatic malignant melanoma and metastasis from clear cell sarcoma of soft parts. Essential for the diagnosis is the evidence of translocations t (12;22) or t (2;22) resulting respectively in EWSR1/ATF1 and EWSR1-CREB1 gene fusion. Clinical history and radiological assessment could help discriminate between bone or soft parts origin. We report an unusual case of clear cell sarcoma of distal femur involving a 13-year-old patient. Histological sections showed a malignant neoplasm composed of nests of uniform cells separated by fibrous septa, showing strong immunoreactivity for melanoma triple cocktail. Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction revealed the presence of the fusion product EWSR1-ATF1, confirming the diagnosis of clear cell sarcoma of bone. Our purpose was to revise the current literature in order to find common clinicalradiological features to this rare entity. To the best of our knowledge, our case is the first bone clear cell sarcoma arising from the distal femur in a pediatric patient described in the literature: it highlights the importance of considering this rare entity in the differential diagnosis of primary bone tumor, although extremely rare and of the use of molecular means to confirm the diagnosis.

Lipoblastoma-like tumor is a very rare mesenchymal tumor believed to be restricted to female patients and only recently reported in the spermatic cord of a male patient. We describe herein an additional case of lipoblastoma-like tumor occurring in the spermatic cord, describing its histopathological, immunohistochemical, and molecular features.

Background: Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma (EMC) is a rare sarcoma of uncertain origin, marked by specific chromosomal translocations involving the NR4A3 gene, and usually characterized by an indolent course. Surgery (with or without radiotherapy) is the treatment of choice in localized disease. The treatment for advanced disease remains uncertain. In order to better evaluate prognostic factors and outcome, a retrospective pooled analysis of patients with EMC treated at three Italian Sarcoma Group (ISG) referral centers was carried out. Methods: All patients with localized EMC surgically treated from 1989 to 2016 were identified. Diagnosis was centrally reviewed according to WHO 2013. Only patients with NR4A3 rearrangement were included. Results: Sixty-seven patients were identified: 13 (20%) female, 54 (80%) male. Median age was 56years (range 18–84). Numbers and type of translocation were: 50 (80%) NR4A3-EWS, 10 (16%) NR4A3-TAF15, 1 (2%) NR4A3-TCF12, and 1 (2%) NR4A3-TFG. Median follow-up was 55months (range 2–312). Five- and ten-year overall survival rates were 94% (86–100 95%CI) and 84% (69–98 95%CI). Thirty-five (52%) patients relapsed: 9 had local recurrence (LR) and 26 had distant metastasis (5 with concomitant LR). The 5- and 10-year disease-free survival rates (DFS) were 51% (38–65 95%CI) and 20% (7–33 95%CI). Size of the primary tumor was significantly related to distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) (p = 0.004). Patients carrying the NR4A3-EWS translocation had a trend in favor of better DFS (p = 0.08) and DMFS (p = 0.09) compared with the patients with NR4A3-TAF15. Conclusions: Prolonged survival can be expected in patients with EMC, in spite of a high rate of recurrence. Size is significantly associated with distant relapse. The type of NR4A3 translocation could influence outcome.

Recent molecular discoveries have refined vascular bone tumor classification. To investigate the clinical relevance of these refinements, we reviewed all cases of primary vascular bone tumors treated at our Institute. On the basis of morphology, cases were assessed immunohistochemically and molecularly. A total of 427 cases of primary vascular tumor of bone with available follow-up and histologic material were retrieved and reclassified according to the most recent diagnostic criteria as follows: 289 hemangiomas, 38 epithelioid hemangiomas, 21 epithelioid hemangioendotheliomas, 2 retiform hemangioendotheliomas, 1 intraosseous papillary intralymphatic angioendothelioma, 24 pseudomyogenic hemangioendotheliomas, and 52 angiosarcomas (of these, 45 were epithelioid angiosarcomas and 7 spindle cell secondary angiosarcoma). Both epithelioid and classic hemangiomas behave as benign tumors with excellent prognosis. The distinction between cellular and conventional type of epithelioid hemangioma was not associated with a different clinical course. Conversely, epithelioid hemangioendothelioma exhibited a more aggressive clinical behavior than hemangioma, with higher rates of multifocality and distant spread. Immunohistochemical positivity for CAMTA1 or TFE3 did not have a prognostic implication. In epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, the presence of morphologic malignant features was associated with reduced disease-free (P=0.064) and overall survival (P=0.055). Pseudomyogenic hemangioendothelioma featured local aggressiveness in 5/24 patients exhibiting a clinical behavior closer to epithelioid hemangioma than epithelioid hemangioendothelioma. Last, 32/45 patients with epithelioid angiosarcoma died of disease with a median survival time of 10 months from diagnosis. In conclusion, the integration of morphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular features allows a better stratification of primary vascular tumors of bone with significant prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Aim: The aim of this study was to establish how reliable FISH CIC analysis using an IVD (in vitro diagnostic) commercial probe is. Methods and results: A series of 19 CIC-DUX4 sarcomas were evaluated. The samples presenting CIC-DUX4 fusion transcript detected by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and Sanger sequencing and/ or Next Generation Sequencing were selected for Fluorescent in Situ Hybridization (FISH) CIC analysis with CIC break-apart IVD probe and compared to molecular analysis. CIC FISH analysis showed 26% of false negatives. Conclusion: Our results indicate that, in the setting of CIC-DUX4 fusion positive small round cell sarcomas, CIC FISH using IVD commercial probe may lead to false-negative results. This novel study evaluates the diagnostic use of a commercial IVD CIC probe for FISH

Background: Periosteal chondrosarcomas are among the rarest types of chondrosarcomas dealt with in few small series of cases. In this study, we aimed to present our experience with this chondrosarcoma, seek for prognostic factors for OS and DFS and survey the status of IDH1 and IDH2. Results: 55 periosteal chondrosarcomas were retrospectively identified. Median age was 37 years, there was a male predominance (62%). The great majority of cases involved the metaphysis of long bones of the extremities. The median size of the tumors was 7.5 cm. Thirty patients underwent to subtotal surgical resection, 22 to tangential resection and the remaining 3 to amputation. The margins, reported in 54 cases, were wide/radical in 38 patients (70.4%), marginal in 9 (16.7%) and intralesional in 7 (12.9%). Histologically, 23 (42%) were grade 1; 27 (49%), grade 2; 3 (5%), grade 3 and 2 (4%) were dedifferentiated. A third of cases in which mutational analysis was feasible harbored heterozygous mutations in codon 132 of IDH1. Fifty-four cases were included for follow-up (median, 137 months). Four patients had local recurrences and six patients developed metastasis to the lungs. All patients that developed metastasis died of disease, two died of unrelated causes and 46 were alive without disease. OS and DFS was not found to be statistically associated with clinical and pathological parameters considered. Conclusions: periosteal chondrosarcomas exhibit a low-grade behavior that can be adequately treated with marginal excisions. Clinical and morphologic parameters do not seem to predict their outcome

Primary spindle cell and pleomorphic sarcomas of bone represent an exceedingly rare group of mesenchymal malignancies that include "soft tissue" histotypes, as malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour. Outside the head and neck region, only 36 cases of primary malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour of bone have been described. We retrieved from our archives eight cases of primary malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour of bone arising outside the head and neck region, describing their clinical, radiological, and morphologic features. Our series, in which all but one patient died of diseases after a median of seven months, confirms that primary malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours of bone are aggressive tumours. Pathologists should be aware of this rare histotype. More aggressive and active adjuvant treatments should be investigated.

The project of Saint Paul occupies Pasolini’s imagination between 1966 and 1974. It originated with and connects to Pasolini’s previous Franciscan project on the subversive hagiography, Bestemmia (“Blasphemy”), another (unshot) screenplay in verse about a rascal of twelfth-century Rome, transformed into a saint after a vision of the Passion in the midst of an orgy. Pasolini worked on Blasphemy from 1962 to 1967, and still later was referring to the project of Saint Paul with the same title of Blasphemy. The continuity, as well as the difference, between the two projects is relevant. I will investigate the roots of Pasolini’s Pauline turn, after his Franciscan stage, and contextualize the project of Saint Paul within Pasolini’s production and within the rise of European queer cinema. I will also put it into dialogue with contemporary political theology, for instance with the Franciscan turn of Agamben, or the emergence of new, multi-stable subjectivities within the Kippbilder model proposed by Luca Di Blasi in his interpretation of Pasolini’s Saint Paul.

Background: Giant cell tumor of bone is a locally aggressive, rarely metastasizing tumor that accounts for about 5% of bone tumors and generally occurs in patients between 20 and 45 years old. A driver mutation in the histone 3.3 (H3.3) gene H3F3A has been identified in as many as 96% of giant cell tumors of bone. The immunohistochemical expression of H3F3A H3.3 G34 expression was found in 97.8% of cases. In the present study, we describe our series of cases of giant cell tumor of bone in pediatric patients &lt, 16 years old. Methods: All cases of giant cell tumor of bone in pediatric patients &lt, 16 years old treated in our institute between 1982 and 2018 were reviewed. Immunohistochemistry and/or molecular analysis for H3F3A gene mutations was performed to confirm the diagnosis. A group of aneurysmal bone cysts in patients &lt, 16 years old was used as a control group. Results: Fifteen cases were retrieved. A pronounced female predominance (93%) was observed. A pure metaphyseal central location occurs in 2 skeletally immature patients. Conclusions: Giant cell tumor of bone should be distinguished from its mimickers due to differences in prognosis and treatment. Immunohistochemical and molecular detection of H3F3A gene mutation represents a reliable diagnostic tool.

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the association between clinical and radiological features as well as of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH 1,2) mutations with outcome in head and neck chondrosarcomas. Study Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Tertiary referral center. Methods: Clinical, histological, and molecular data of patients with head and neck chondrosarcomas treated by surgery were collected. Results: Forty-six patients were included. The mean age at diagnosis was 56 years (range, 17-78). The tumor originated from the skull base (52.2%), facial bones (28.2%), or laryngotracheal area (19.6%). At last follow-up (median 52.5 months), 38 patients were alive, 30 of which were disease free, whereas 8 had died, 4 of disease progression and 4 of other causes. Fourteen (30.4%) had local recurrence and 2 (4.3%) had lung metastasis. All cases were negative for cytokeratin AE1/AE3, brachyury, and IDH1 at immunohistochemistry, while Sanger sequencing identified IDH1/2 point mutations, typically IDH1 R132C, in 9 (37.5%) tumors arising from the skull base. Margin infiltration on the surgical specimen negatively affected the outcome, whereas no correlation was identified with IDH mutation status. Conclusions: An adequate margin positively affects survival. IDH mutation status does not affect patient outcome.

Aims: To present our experience on spinal sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF) and review the existing literature pertaining to SEF of the spine. Methods and results: Six cases of spinal SEF were reviewed, and a literature search of all primary SEFs of the spine was performed. All tumours occurred in adults (median age, 41years) and were located all along the spine, the lumbar vertebrae being the most commonly involved. All patients presented with pain that they had experienced for months. The mean tumour size at diagnosis was 52mm. Five tumours showed a spectrum of microscopic features consistent with pure SEF, and one showed a hybrid morphology with areas of low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma. All were diffusely and strongly positive for mucin 4. Two cases were initially misdiagnosed as epithelioid haemangioendothelioma and aggressive chondroblastoma. Fluorescence in-situ hybridisation showed rearrangements of either FUS or EWSR1 in four cases. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction showed the presence of FUS–CREB3L1 and EWSR1–CREB3L1 fusion transcripts in two cases and one case, respectively. Of five patients with follow-up data available, two developed one or more local recurrences and three patients had metastatic disease. Distant metastases were mainly to other osseous locations, followed by lungs and lymph nodes. At last follow-up, three patients had died of disease and one was alive with multiple metastases. Conclusions: SEF is an aggressive sarcoma that can involve the spine. It is important to recognise the spine as the primary location of SEF, in order to avoid misdiagnosis as more common primary spinal neoplasms, which can impact on therapeutic approaches.

Aims: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of SSX and SSX::SS18 antibodies in decalcified surgical specimens and outcome of synovial sarcomas (SS) of bone. Methods and results: Twenty-five cases were classified as bone SS (prevalence 0.32% among malignant primary bone sarcoma). Median age was 34 years (range = 9–79). Twenty-four of 25 patients presented with non-metastatic tumours, one with lung metastases. The majority of tumours involved the long bones of extremities with metaphyseal origin. Mean size of the tumour was 7.1 cm. Twenty cases (80%) were monophasic and five (20%) were biphasic. SS18::SSX fusion-specific antibody had 92% sensitivity and 99% specificity for primary bone SS, whereas SSX C-terminus antibody had 100% sensitivity and 94% specificity. Fluorescence in-situ hybridisation (FISH) analysis was feasible in nine (36%) cases and detected SS18 rearrangement in all nine cases. All patients underwent surgical removal of their primary tumour, with adequate margins in 18 (72%) patients. Chemotherapy with metothrexate, cisplatin, doxorubicin and ifosfamide was used in the seven patients. Two patients with inadequate surgical margins received radiotherapy. With a median follow-up of 80 months (range = 6–428), 5- and 10-year overall survival (OS) was 66.6% and 47.9%, respectively, and 5 and 10 years’ disease-free survival (DFS) was 36.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 18.0–55.7%] and 32.2% (95% CI = 14.6–51.2%), respectively. A significant improvement in 10 years’ DFS in patients undergoing chemotherapy compared with patients who did not was observed (P = 0.039). Conclusions: Our series highlights the utility of SS18::SSX fusion-specific and SSX C-terminus antibodies to support the diagnosis of SS. Adjustment chemotherapy was associated with improved prognosis in this series.

Stefania Benini,1 Gabriella Gamberi,1,2 Stefania Cocchi,1 Jessica Garbetta,1 Laurent Alberti,3 Alberto Righi,1 Marco Gambarotti,1 Piero Picci,1 Stefano Ferrari4 1Department of Pathology, Rizzoli Institute, Bologna, 2Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; 3Department of Pathology, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France; 4Department of Chemotherapy, Rizzoli Institute, Bologna, Italy Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) analysis is a promising new diagnostic field to estimate risk and monitor treatment efficacy, metastatic relapse, and progression in cancer patients. The study aim was to isolate and characterize CTCs in blood samples of Ewing sarcoma (ES) patients exploiting two main characteristics: CD99 expression and presence of chromosomal translocations.Materials and methods: The method isolated CTCs from peripheral blood (PB) of ES patients. Cell-surface CD99 was a useful marker for CTCs determined using immunomagnetic separation with microbeads and CD99 monoclonal antibody. We tested sensitivity and specificity by detecting CTCs in blood collected from healthy donors and randomly during therapy from 18 ES patients. Evidence of CTCs was confirmed by detection of specific molecular markers using quantitative and digital reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction targeting EWSR1/FLI1 type 1 and type 2 or EWSR1/ETS-related gene transcripts type 1 and type 9e.Results: Feasibility of finding CTCs in PB of ES patients by immunoseparation with CD99 antibody and magnetic microbeads was demonstrated for the first time. At molecular analysis, three PB specimens tested positive for chimeric EWSR1/FLI1 type 2 and one PB for chimeric EWSR1/FLI1 type 2. CTCs detection was found above a limit of detection of 1 cell/mL of PB.Conclusion: CTCs in PB of ES patients can be identified by this method and in ES CTCs analysis can be used as a liquid biopsy approach for prognostic and predictive purposes. The potential clinical implications of CTCs in PB samples detected by the platform for CTC isolation with molecular confirmation during therapy require further evaluation. Keywords: circulating tumor cells, anti-CD99 antibody, magnetic beads, Ewing sarcoma, immunoseparation, liquid biopsy&nbsp

Giant Cell Tumor (GCT) represents about 20% of benign bone tumors, is locally aggressive although malignant transformation is extremely rare

Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma (EMC) is a very rare sarcoma most often arising in the soft tissue. Rare EMC of the bone have been reported. EMC exhibits distinctive clinico-pathological and genetic features; however, despite the name, it lacks any feature of cartilaginous differentiation. EMC is characterized by the rearrangement of the NR4A3, which, in most cases (about 62-75%), is fused with EWSR1 and less frequently with other partners, including TAF15 (27%), TCF12 (4%), TFG, and FUS. We herein report the identification by whole-transcriptome sequencing of HSPA8 as a novel fusion partner of NR4A3 in a case of EMC. FISH analysis confirmed the presence of a genomic HSPA8-NR4A3 translocation in the vast majority of tumor cells. Our findings expand the spectrum of NR4A3 fusion partners involved in EMC pathobiology.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a rare, insidious tumor of mesenchymal origin that most often affects children, adolescents, and young adults. While the primary tumor can be controlled with chemotherapy and surgery, it is the lung metastases that are eventually fatal. Multiple studies into the initial drivers of OS development have been undertaken, but few of these have examined innate immune/inflammatory signaling. A central figure in inflammatory signaling is the innate immune/stress-activated kinase double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR). To characterize the role of PKR in OS, U2OS, and SaOS-2 osteosarcoma cell lines were stably transfected with wild-type or dominant-negative (DN) PKR. Overexpression of PKR enhanced colony formation in soft agar (U2OS and SaOS-2), enhanced cellular migration (U2OS), and invasive migration (SaOS-2). In contrast, overexpression of DN-PKR inhibited attachment-independent growth, migration and/or invasion. These data demonstrate a role for inflammatory signaling in OS formation and migration/invasion and suggest the status of PKR expression/activation may have prognostic value.

This is a review of the work by Gabriele Balbi and Paolo Magaudda, titled "Storia dei media digitali: rivoluzioni e continuita" ("History of the digital media: revolutions and continuity"). This book traces the socio-cultural history of three digital media that have strongly impacted our lives: computers, internet and mobile telephones. Balbi and Magaudda focus particularly on the last sixty-five years, from the Fifties to today, but with several references to previous centuries' theories and practices. The volume is opened with a foreword by media historian Peppino Ortoleva. In the introduction, the two authors detail the complex methodology employed. As they explain, the book adopts an historical approach, which allows the authors to retrace different tendencies in the "long period (the so called longue duree)", and to capture digital media's "dynamic evolution".

Aims Round-cell sarcomas lacking specific translocations represent a diagnostic challenge. The aim of this study was to describe seven cases of CIC-DUX4 fusion-positive sarcomas, including the first reported example arising primarily in bone. Methods and results Patients ranged in age from 15 years to 44 years (median: 33 years). Six cases arose from the soft tissues, and one from the iliac bone. Morphologically, all cases showed an undifferentiated round-cell population with greater atypia and pleomorphism than Ewing sarcoma. Immunohistochemically, all tumours showed focal and weak positivity for CD99, and five of seven showed nuclear and/or cytoplasmic positivity for Wilms tumour 1. Five patients had lung metastases at presentation. All patients received chemotherapy according to Ewing sarcoma protocols. All but one patient (the one with a bone tumour) died of disease after a mean of 14.5 months from the diagnosis (range: 8-20 months). Conclusions Our series confirms that CIC-DUX4 fusion-positive sarcomas are aggressive tumours with an adverse prognosis, and with clinical, histological and genetic differences from Ewing sarcoma. The best therapeutic approach needs to be investigated.

Purpose: 5-years overall survival (OS) in high grade conventional chondrosarcoma is about 50%. Grade has been identified as the main prognostic factor. Heterozigous isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations are present in about half of conventional chondrosarcomas, with higher frequency in low grade lesions. IDH prognostic role is not fully understood. Aim of this study is to assess the frequency of IDH mutations in high grade chondrosarcoma, their relationship with clinical characteristics, and their prognostic role. Methods: patients who underwent surgery at Rizzoli between 2002 and 2012 with a diagnosis of G2- G3 conventional chondrosarcoma and fresh frozen tissue available were selected from archives. DNA extraction was performed with commercial kit. PCR amplification of exon 4 of IDH1 and IDH2 genes, and sequencing analysis with Sanger was performed. Results: 54 patients identified:18 (33%) were male, 36 (67%) female; median age was 62 (range 17-85 years). 40 (74%) patients had localized tumor, and 14 (26%) presented with metastases. Tumor was in the extremities in 25 (46%) patients. 41 (76%) of the cases were G2, 13 (24%) G3. 4 patients had a genetic predisposition (1 Maffucci syndrome and 3 Ollier disease). IDH mutation was detected in 26 (48%) of the patients (20 IDH1, 4 IDH2, and 2 patients both IDH1 and 2). Frequency of mutation was 17 (65%) in G2, and 9 (35%) in G3. 4/4 chondrosarcomas in with a syndrome presented a mutation. Gender, site and stage were not significantly different by mutational status. After a median follow-up of 124 months (range 1-166) the 5-year OS was 51% (95% CI:36-64), with no difference according to mutational status (5-year OS IDHmut 54% vs IDHwt 48%, p=0.45), and better survival for localized vs metastatic pts (68% vs 7%, p Citation Format: Elisabetta Setola, Stefania Benini, Alberto Righi, Gabriella Gamberi, Sofia Avnet, Elisa Carretta, Cristina Ferrari, Emanuela Palmerini, Pier Luigi Lollini, Marilena Cesari, Anna Paioli, Alessandra Longhi, Davide Maria Donati, Nicola Baldini. IDH mutations in G2-3 conventional chondrosarcoma of bone: a mono institutional experience [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 5909.

Background: Limited information is available on the applicative value of liquid biopsy (LB) in rare tumors, including Ewing’s sarcoma (ES). The accepted precision diagnostics standards would greatly benefit from a non-invasive LB test monitoring pathognomonic gene rearrangements in the bloodstream. Methods: Tissue and blood samples were collected from six and four ES patients, respectively. Plasma was cleared by two successive rounds of centrifugation and stored frozen until RNA extraction by the QIAmp CNA kit. RNA was retro-transcribed and subjected to real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR). Reactions were set up using two custom primer sets identifying types 1 and 2 EWS-FLI1 fusion transcripts. Results: The two prevalent types of EWS-FLI1 rearrangements could be identified using only two sets of polymerase chain reaction primers, regardless of patient-specific EWS-FLI1 DNA breakpoints. RT-qPCR and dPCR discriminated the two variants in five tumor tissue RNAs and in four circulating tumor RNAs (ctRNAs). Of note, EWS-FLI1 molecular diagnosis was possible using blood samples even when tumor tissue was not available. ctRNA levels correlated ( p < 0.05) with volume-based positron emission tomography (PET) parameters (metabolic tumor volume and total lesion glycolysis), and allowed the fine tracking of disease course after surgery, during adjuvant as well as neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and at follow up in one patient. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is one of the few single-marker LB assays in solid tumors specifically designed to detect rearranged RNAs in blood, and the first study describing EWS circulating tumor RNAs in ES patients. Altogether, our results support the idea that LB may have a considerable impact on ES patient monitoring and management.

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is a rare tumour, with dismal survival when metastasis occurs. SS contains a characteristic translocation (X;18)(p11;q11) and the fusion genes appear to be mutually exclusive and concordant in primary and metastatic tumours. Novel prognostic and predictive factors are required. The C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12)/C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) axis is involved in tumour development and metastatic spread in many types of cancer and previous data have demonstrated a pivotal role of CXCR4 in SS cell migration and invasion. Bioinformatics and biological data indicated CXCR4 is a possible candidate target of miR-494.3p, known to be involved in tumour progression. In this study, we analysed the expression of miR-494.3p and its potential target, CXCR4, in a series of SS specimens. A significantly lower miR-494.3p expression was found in the tumour compared to normal tissue associated with higher levels of CXCR4 both at the gene and protein level. The role of CXCR4 as a potential target of miR-494.3p was assessed in two SS cell lines (SW982 and SYO-I). Transfection with miR-494.3p expression plasmid led to a marked decrease in CXCR4 gene and protein expression, concomitant with a transitory decrease in cell proliferation and migration. The SYO-I cells also responded with an increased apoptotic fraction. The data of this study also demonstrate that the downregulation of miR-494.3p in SS surgical specimens, concomitant with an increased expression of its potential target, CXCR4, was more evident in the metastatic subset. In vitro experiments confirmed that miR-494.3p functioned as a tumour suppressor through the involvement of CXCR4 and ongoing studies are directed to better clarify its role in SS therapeutic strategies.

We report two cases of sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma occurring in the deep soft tissue of the thigh, confirmed by molecular analysis and associated with bone metastases in the lumbar vertebrae and the iliac wing at the time of diagnosis. Synchronous bone metastases of sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma are extremely difficult to diagnose because clinical and radiological features are not specific. In addition, the range of differential diagnoses is very wide, including metastatic carcinoma and osteosarcoma. At present, all but three published cases of sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma with bone metastases showed bone metastases during follow-up. We confirm in our two cases that the distinct pattern of immunohistochemical staining for MUC4, associated with the absence of staining for both SATB2, a marker of osteoblastic differentiation, and pan-cytokeratin, allows differentiating between sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma and metastatic carcinoma or osteosarcoma.

Aims To evaluate the clinical impact of excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) expression in high-grade osteosarcoma (OS). Methods and results Immunohistochemistry was performed on biopsies from 99 OS patients enrolled in the ISG/OS-Oss training set or ISG/SSG1 validation set neoadjuvant chemotherapy protocols, based on the use of cisplatin, adriamycin, methotrexate, and ifosfamide. In the training set, ERCC1 positivity was found in eight of 31 (26%) patients, and was significantly associated with worse event-free survival (EFS) (P = 0.042) and overall survival (OVS) (P = 0.001). In the validation set, ERCC1 positivity was found in 22 of 68 (32%) patients, and its significant associations with poorer EFS (P = 0.028) and OVS (P = 0.022) were confirmed. Multivariate analyses performed on the whole patient series indicated that ERCC1 positivity was the only marker that was significantly associated with a higher risk of worse prognosis, in terms of both EFS and OVS (P = 0.013). Co-evaluation of ERCC1 and ABCB1 expression showed that patients who were positive for both markers had a significantly worse prognosis. Conclusions The ERCC1 level at diagnosis is predictive for the outcome of patients with non-metastatic, high-grade OS treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and co-evaluation with ABCB1 can identify high-risk groups of OS patients who are refractory to standard regimens.

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF PRIMO LEVI By Primo Levi. Edited by Ann Goldstein. New York: Norton, 2016. 3008 pp.We can speculate on what Primo Levi would have thought about the American edition of his complete works that appeared on the shelves in late summer 2015. In an essay on translation, titled "On Translating and Being Translated," Levi claims: "Linguistic friction tends to become racial and political resistance, another of our maledictions. It should follow that whoever practices the trade of translator or interpreter should be honored, insofar as he labors to limit the damage of Babel's curse; but this doesn't usually happen because translating is difficult work." Primo Levi himself was a translator and had a very troubling experience translating into Italian Jacob Presser's 1962 novella, De Nacht der Girondijnen, and Franz Kafka's The Trial. Levi writes about this experience in the project Ricerca delle Radici (In search of roots) that has not been translated in Ann Goldstein's edition of the complete works, modeled upon the complete Italian edition edited by Marco Belpoliti in 1997. This missing text is a significant absence in the American anthology because it does not allow readers to explore in a deeper fashion Levi's thought about translation and language, important because the concept of translation encompasses Levi's experience in the extermination camps. I am following here the thesis of Lina N. Insana in her Primo Levi, Translation, and the Transmission ofHolocaust Testimony (2009). According to Insana, her volume, "sees in translation a signpost for Levi's reflection on language, on language in the camps and within the project of the Final Solution, on the challenges of testimony, and on the transmissive process, revealing the essential difficulty of translation and thus the challenges of survival-testimonial writing: the utter arduousness of the testimonial task" (11).The importance of the concept of translation for transmitting the babelic Lagersprache of Auschwitz, and for expressing the unutterable horror of the Lager's experience makes the task of the Primo Levi's translator even more arduous. Translating Levi with accuracy is crucial: it is necessary to honor his effort to write the unwritable with clarity, concision, and with a clear sense of observation and attention to detail. To convey Levi's ability to portray a situation or a personality with few traits, with a moral sense of the weight of language that, in the extermination camp, was a matter of life and death, becomes a foundational task for the translator. If translation, as Insana claims, is a "necessary metaphor for Holocaust witnessing," Goldstein's anthology of Primo Levi's works comes forth as a crucial step for Levi's project of translating survival. It will fulfill the aftermath of the original as anticipated by Walter Benjamin in his pivotal essay "The Task of the Translator": "[A] translation issues from the original-not so much from its life as from its afterlife. For a translation comes later than the original, and since the important works of world literature never find their chosen translators at the time of their origin, their translations mark their stage of continued life. …

The boundaries of the benign spindle cell stromal tumors of the breast are still confusing. This is the reason why different names are interchangeably used for the same tumor and vice versa the same name for different tumors. Therefore, we studied the immunoexpression of easily available markers, such as CD34, α-smooth muscle actin, and desmin, with the addition of STAT6, as well as the chromosome 13q14 region by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis in a series of 19 cases of benign spindle cell stromal tumors of the breast. Based on the morphologic and immunohistochemical findings, the following histotypes were identified: (i) tumors (10/19 cases) with the characteristic morphology of myofibroblastoma and stained with vimentin, CD34, desmin, and α-smooth muscle actin; (ii) fibroblastic benign spindle cell tumors (5/19 cases) composed of fibroblast-like cells stained only with vimentin and CD34; (iii) tumors (2/19 cases) with the typical morphologic features of solitary fibrous tumor and stained with vimentin, CD34, and STAT6; (iv) 1 case of spindle cell lipoma stained with vimentin and CD34; and (v) 1 case of fibroma composed of a paucicellular, diffusely hyalinized stroma with expression of vimentin and CD34. Notably most of the tumors, with the exception of solitary fibrous tumor, showed monoallelic deletion of FOXO1. This finding supports that myofibroblastoma, fibroblastic benign spindle cell tumor, spindle cell lipoma, and fibroma of the breast are histogenetically related lesions which belong to the same tumor entity.

Bone tissue is critically lagging behind soft tissues and biofluids in our effort to advance precision medicine. The main challenges have been accessibility and the requirement for deleterious decalcification processes that impact the fidelity of diagnostic histomorphology and hinder downstream analyses such as fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH). We have developed an alternative fixation chemistry that simultaneously fixes and decalcifies bone tissue. We compared tissue morphology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), cell signal phosphoprotein analysis, and FISH in 50 patient matched primary bone cancer cases that were either formalin fixed and decalcified, or theralin fixed with and without decalcification. Use of theralin improved tissue histomorphology, whereas overall IHC was comparable to formalin fixed, decalcified samples. Theralin-fixed samples showed a significant increase in protein and DNA extractability, supporting technologies such as laser-capture microdissection and reverse phase protein microarrays. Formalin-fixed bone samples suffered from a fixation artifact where protein quantification of β-actin directly correlated with fixation time. Theralin-fixed samples were not affected by this artifact. Moreover, theralin fixation enabled standard FISH staining in bone cancer samples, whereas no FISH staining was observed in formalin-fixed samples. We conclude that the use of theralin fixation unlocks the molecular archive within bone tissue allowing bone to enter the standard tissue analysis pipeline. This will have significant implications for bone cancer patients, in whom personalized medicine has yet to be implemented.

Recent methodology has enabled the identification of some new genetic subgroups within the melting pot of lesions presently classified by the 2013 WHO classification as “undifferentiated/unclassified sarcomas”. One of these subgroups is characterized by a paracentric inversion of the X chromosome with consequent formation of a BCOR-CCNB3 fusion. Clinical and pathological features of these tumors overlap with the Ewing sarcoma family as well as other soft tissue sarcomas, thus making them difficult to diagnose. To investigate the morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics of BCOR-CCNB3 positive sarcoma, we reviewed two sarcoma series, comprising 632 and 121 cases. The 11 tumors harboring the BCOR-CCNB3 fusion, identified by CCNB3 immunohistochemistry and/or RT-PCR, were reevaluated for morphological characteristics and further immunohistochemical investigations for CCNB3, SATB2, and Pax8 were performed. Tumors harboring a BCOR-CCNB3 fusion (11/753) occured exclusively in males, with a mean age at diagnosis of 12.9 years, and were mainly axially located. In this group of either spindled or round cell tumors, vesicular nuclei with finely dispersed chromatin, inconspicuous nucleoli and an arciform vascular pattern were pathognomonic. More than 50% of cases stained positive for SATB2 and Pax8, raising the hypothesis of a potential use of these markers in the identification of BCOR-CCNB3 positive undifferentiated/unclassified sarcomas. CCNB3 was confirmed as a useful ancillary immunohistochemical marker.

The aim of the study is to describe a novel genetic finding examining the molecular and pathological features of a case of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor occurring in the thigh of a 17-year-old male. Fusion gene detection using a next-generation sequencing-based anchored multiplex PCR technique (Archer FusionPlex Sarcoma Panel) was used to identify the novel fusion of EWSR1-VEZF1 from the frozen tumor sample. EWSR1-VEZF1 fusion is a novel molecular gene rearrangement involving exon 8 of the EWSR1 gene and exon 2 of the VEZF1 gene. Data were validated with gene sequencing and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. This case report describes a novel rearrangement involving EWSR1 on chromosome 22 and VEZF1 on chromosome 17. The result obtained demonstrates the value of the next-generation sequencing-based anchored multiplex PCR technique (Archer FusionPlex Sarcoma Panel) both in diagnosis and patient care and might become a helpful diagnostic tool for this tumor type.

Il gesto di tracciare una mappa è atto di ordinamento cognitivo e di organizzazione dell’immaginazione, ma è anche atto fondante dell’identità e del suo posizionamento in relazione ai luoghi. Il saggio rintraccia le dinamiche affettive del vissuto della scrittrice italo-somala Igiaba Scego nella struttura di un libro – La mia casa è dove sono (2010) – pensato come mappa di due luoghi in dialogo l’uno con l’altro, Roma e Mogadiscio, fra memoria individuale ed epos familiare, fra scrittura autobiografica e narrazione orale, fra genealogia femminile e soggettività nomade, fra ex impero ed ex colonia, in senso letterale e in senso esistenziale. Tuttavia, il progetto benjaminiano di una mappa del vissuto di Igiaba si accompagna alla sua ironia e alla sua saudade, a un’appartenenza italiana che va dalla letteratura al calcio, e a un’appartenenza somala che non cessa di ricordare al pubblico italiano i crimini coloniali dell’età fascista e l’ancor più criminale amnesia che è seguita loro. Memorie auratiche e memorie funebri di Mogadiscio traspaiono dietro le sagome di monumenti e luoghi mitici di Roma, dal teatro Sistina all’elefantino del Bernini, dalla stele di Axum alla stazione Termini, in una condizione che va dalla diaspora alla rivendicazione di un’identità ibrida e in movimento, dove la mappa è luogo ma è anche, soprattutto, corpo.

Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma is characterized by the reciprocal chromosomal translocation t(9;22) and the resultant fused gene EWS RNA-binding protein 1 and nuclear receptor subfamily 4, group A, member 3 (EWSR1-NR4A3). A second cytogenetic rearrangement t(9;17) involves the genes NR4A3 and TAF 15 RNA polymerase II, TATA box binding protein (TBP)-associated factor (TAF15). Less frequent fusion transcript variants of the NR4A3 gene, transcription factor 12 (TCF12)-NR4A3 and TRK-fused gene (TFG)-NR4A3, are associated with t(9;15) and t(9;3) respectively. The samples from 42 patients with extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma were examined for the presence of EWSR1-NR4A3, TAF15-NR4A3, TCF12-NR4A3, and TFG-NR4A3 fusion transcripts by using RT-PCR. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed to analyze the status of EWSR1 and NR4A3 genes. The fusion transcripts were detected in 34 of 42 samples (81%); the presence of an EWSR1 or NR4A3 gene rearrangements were detected in 8 of 42 samples (19%) which had tested negative for all fusion transcripts detected by RT-PCR. Of the 34 samples evaluable for fusion transcripts, 23 yielded positive results for EWSR1-NR4A3, 10 for TAF15-NR4A3, and 1 for TCF12-NR4A3. The combination of RT-PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization on frozen and paraffin-embedded tissue is a sensitive and specific method for molecular detection of recurrent translocations and is an important ancillary method to establish the diagnosis of extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma.

Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma is a rare neoplasm of soft tissue. The usual location is in deep parts of the proximal extremities and limb girdles in middle-aged adults. The bone location as primary location is extremely rare and few cases are reported. We present three cases arising in bone with molecular confirmation using both RT-PCR and FISH analysis. Patients include two men and one woman with an age of 62, 69 and 73 years old. The mean size of the lesion was 13 cm (range 8–18 cm). Tumors arose in the iliac bone in two cases and in the proximal humerus in the other case. At time of diagnosis the three cases show bone cortex and soft tissue involvement. On imaging, lesions have a lobular pattern, are purely lytic, but take up contrast medium after injection. Two patients are alive with disease (local recurrence and lung metastasis) after five years and five years and six months, respectively and one patient died of disease two years after the diagnosis. The primary extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma of bone seems to have a more aggressive behavior than the soft tissue counterpart. The molecular confirmation of diagnosis using RT-PCR is necessary to do the differential diagnosis with other entities, in particular with myoepithelioma that shows similar morphological features and EWSR1 and FUS genes rearrangement.

In this chapter, Benini examines Nanni Moretti’s relationship with grief in his latest movie Mia madre, produced in 2015. Moving from a diaristic imprinting, Moretti projects his mourning onto a female figure, the filmmaker Margherita, creating two intersecting triangles of characters. One triangle is a female genealogy between the mother, Ada, the daughter, Margherita, and the granddaughter, Livia. The second triangle consists of Moretti’s own diffracted alter-egos: Margherita, her brother Giovanni and her most prominent actor, Barry Huggins, with an interesting gender roles’ inversion between Margherita and her brother, who is the mother’s caretaker. Margherita lives in a liminal dimension porous to the intermittences of memory, imagination, and the subconscious. Moretti creates oneiric sequences that are uncannily real, giving the sense of a present enmeshed with the memories of the past and the fear for the future. Notwithstanding the dimension of the tragedy to come, Moretti welcomes grief as an awakening to a future full of awareness and pietas. Moretti’s stance is that of a classical elegy, and his relationship with the mother is like his relationship to the Classics: a legacy not to be lost, but cherished and embraced.

The Ewing's family of tumors (EFTs) are characterized by chimeric transcripts generated by specific chromosomal rearrangements. The most common fusions are between the EWSR1 gene on chromosome 22 and the ETS family of transcription factors; rarely, FUS (on chromosome 16) substitutes for EWSR1. The detection of specific translocations using molecular analysis is now a routine part of the pathological examination of EFT. Here, we report our experience with molecular diagnosis of EFT during the 4 years (2006–2009) at the Rizzoli Institute. We analyzed 222 consecutive tumors with a presumptive diagnosis of EFT using molecular techniques and IHC. We found five distinct types of EWSR1-FLI1 fusion transcripts resulting from translocation t(11;22), three types of EWSR1-ERG transcripts resulting from t(21;22), and one type of t(2;22) resulting in EWSR1-FEV fusion. Molecular investigation validated 92% of cases ultimately diagnosed as EFT; IHC validated 76% of the cases. Thus, despite the difficulties and limitations associated with both molecular and IHC analysis on fresh and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue, a combination of these techniques is the best approach to enhancing the accuracy of EFT diagnosis. We also present our method for choosing which molecular techniques to apply. Finally, we collected the most prevalent breakpoints reported in the literature, indicating which exons are involved, the sequence breakpoints, and the NCBI reference sequences.

CD99 gene encodes two distinct proteins, produced by alternative splicing of CD99 gene transcript. Full-length CD99 isoform (CD99wt) is formed by an extracellular domain, followed by a transmembrane domain and a 36 amino-acid intracytoplasmic domain, which is partially deleted in the truncated, short form (CD99sh). A differential expression of these two CD99 molecules can lead to distinct functional outcomes in lymphocytes. To investigate the functional effects of CD99 molecules on malignancy, forced overexpression of the two CD99 isoforms was induced in osteosarcoma and prostate cancer cells. The two isoforms exhibited opposite functions: the major form dramatically inhibits anchorage-independent growth, anoikis resistance, migration and metastasis, whereas the CD99sh remarkably favours the phenomena. A mechanistic analysis of CD99-transfected osteosarcoma cells points to involvement of c-Src family kinase activity in regulating CD99 functions in malignancy. Ser168 residue of CD99 plays a pivotal role in the reversion of the malignant phenotype. Our findings highlight the involvement of CD99 in crucial processes of cancer malignancy, serving as a curtain raiser for this, so far neglected molecule. In addition, a dualistic role for the two CD99 isoforms was shown in agreement with what was observed for other cell adhesion molecules.