Chromosomal changes in soft-tissue sarcomas. A new diagnostic parameter
C. P. Karakousis, P. Dal Cin, C. Turc-Carel, J. Limon and A. A. Sandberg
Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263.
A cytogenetic study was performed on short-term cultures from fresh
surgical specimens obtained from 41 patients with soft-tissue sarcomas of
various histologic origins. The results demonstrated that myxoid
liposarcomas (five tumors) were associated with a specific translocation
between chromosomes 12 and 16 and that synovial sarcomas (six tumors) were
associated with a specific translocation between the X chromosome and
chromosome 18. These chromosomal data have been used to differentiate
myxoid liposarcoma from other myxoid tumors exhibiting a non-characteristic
histologic picture, as well as to ascertain the diagnosis of synovial
sarcoma in undifferentiated soft-tissue sarcomas. The results to date
indicate that identification of specific chromosomal changes in sarcomas
may provide a new diagnostic criterion for these tumors and possibly
improve prognostication with regard to survival and response to treatment.
