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Abstract: Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is an uncommon spindle cell neoplasm with unpredictable behavior. It was originally described in the pleura, but is now known to occur in various locations. SFT of the tongue is rare, with only four cases on record. An SFT of the anterolateral part of the left side of the tongue, which occurred in a 48 year-old man is recorded. The tumor was resected and the patient remains free of recurrence 3 years postoperatively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Concomitant administration of radiation therapy (RT) and chemotherapy with cisplatin (CCRT) is considered standard treatment in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer (LA-NPC). The role of induction chemotherapy (IC) when followed by CCRT in improving locoregional control remains controversial. Patients and methods: Totally, 141 eligible patients with LA-NPC were randomized to either three cycles of IC with cisplatin 75 mg/m2, epirubicin 75 mg/m2 and paclitaxel (Taxol) 175 mg/m2 (CEP) every 3 weeks followed by definitive RT (70 Gy) and concomitant weekly infusion of cisplatin 40 mg/m2 (investigational arm, 72 patients) or to the same CCRT regimen alone (control arm, 69 patients). Results: Sixty-two patients (86%) received three cycles of IC. No difference between the arms was observed in the number of patients who completed RT (61 versus 64, P = 018). Overall and complete response rates were very similar in the two arms and so were 3-year progression-free and overall survival rates. Grade III or IV toxic effects from IC were infrequent, apart of alopecia. Mucositis, weight loss and leukopenia were the most prominent side-effects from CCRT. Conclusion: IC with three cycles of CEP when followed by CCRT did not significantly improve response rates and/or survival compared with that of CCRT alone. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Hypothesising that cancer of unknown primary (CUP) may harbour unique characteristics, we present a translational study of the immunohistochemical expression and clinical correlation of key PTEN/AKT pathway molecules. Patients and methods We collected 100 paraffin-embedded CUP tissue blocks. We studied using tissue microarrays the expression of PTEN, phospho-AKT, Cyclin D1, p21, phospho-RPS6. From the percentage of staining tumour cells and the literature, we selected cut-offs to classify the expression of each biomolecule. We correlated IHC expression with clinical data. Results PTEN, pAKT, and pRPS6 showed frequent expression. At univariate analysis, high IHC expression of pAKT and pRPS6 displayed statistically significant association with worse survival. Prognosis was worse upon concurrent high IHC expression of pMAPK and pAKT {median overall survival = 8 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 5.3–10.7] versus 17 months [95% CI 13.1–20.9]}. In multivariate analysis, high p21 was associated with better survival (risk ratio [RR] = 0.34 [95% CI 0.16–0.73], P = 0.005). High expression of pAKT (RR = 2.39 [95% CI 1.23–4.66], P = 0.01) or pRPS6 (RR = 2.76 [95% CI 1.31–5.84], P = 0.008) was associated with worse survival. Conclusions p21 expression conferred favourable prognosis, while high pAKT or pRPS6 expression predicted worse prognosis. Concurrent MAPK and pAKT expression had a marked adverse impact on survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Despite improvement in therapeutic techniques, patients with early-stage laryngeal cancer still recur after treatment. Gene expression prognostic models could suggest which of these patients would be more appropriate for testing adjuvant strategies. Materials and methods Expression profiling using whole-genome DASL arrays was carried out on 56 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor samples of patients with early-stage laryngeal cancer. We split the samples into a training and a validation set. Using the supervised principal components survival analysis in the first cohort, we identified gene expression profiles that predict the risk of recurrence. These profiles were then validated in an independent cohort. Results Gene models comprising different number of genes identified a subgroup of patients who were at high risk of recurrence. Of these, the best prognostic model distinguished between a high- and a low-risk group (log-rank P < 0.005). The prognostic value of this model was reproduced in the validation cohort (median disease-free survival: 38 versus 161 months, log-rank P = 0.018), hazard ratio = 5.19 (95% confidence interval 1.14–23.57, P < 0.05). Conclusions We have identified gene expression prognostic models that can refine the estimation of a patient's risk of recurrence. These findings, if further validated, should aid in patient stratification for testing adjuvant treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]