Isocitrate Dehydrogenase Mutations are Better Prognostic Marker than O6-methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase Promoter Methylation in Glioblastomas - a Retrospective, Single-centre Molecular Genetics Study of Gliomas.

BACKGROUND: Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH1/2) are a promising prognostic biomarker of gliomas. The purpose of our study was to examine the clinical prognostic properties of IDH1/2 mutations in a glioma patient cohort from the Czech Republic using an improved platform for simple and reliable IDH genotyping. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed a group of 145 glioma patients by testing for the three most frequent IDH mutations, IDH1 R132H, IDH1 R132C, and IDH2 R172K, through the competitive amplification of differentially melting amplicons (CADMA) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation, copy number of EGFR, p53, RB1, MDM2, CDKN2A genes, and deletions in 1p, 19q and 10p chromosomal regions were also analyzed and correlated with clinical characteristics. RESULTS: Of 145 gliomas, 36 harbored IDH1 R132H mutation and 1 IDH1 R132C mutation. We did not detect any IDH2 R172K mutation. IDH1 mutations were positively associated with MGMT methylation (OR 3.08, 95% CI 1.387-7.282; p = 0.007), 1p/19q co-loss (OR 8.85, 95% CI 2.367-42.786; p = 0.002) and negatively associated with epidermal growth factor receptor amplification (OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.019-0.437; p = 0.006) and 10p loss (OR 0.09, 95% CI 0.005-0.436; p = 0.019). The overall survival of IDH-mutant was 25 months, but only 9 months in IDH-wild type gliomas (p = 0.035); at the same time, survival associated with methylated vs. unmethylated MGMT promoter did not significantly differ (p = 0.166). CONCLUSION: Despite IDH1 mutations being closely associated with MGMT methylation in glioma patients, IDH1 mutations in glioblastoma patients are stronger marker of overall survival than MGMT methylation and should be the marker of choice, especially when using genotyping by CADMA PCR.Key words: isocitrate dehydrogenase - polymerase chain reaction - glioma - glioblastoma.

[A Patient with Primary Intraventricular Gliosarcoma and Long-term Survival - a Case Report]. / Pacientka s primárním intraventrikulárním gliosarkomem s dlouhodobým prezíváním - kazuistika.

BACKGROUND: Gliosarcoma is a rare, malignant CNS tumor with a very poor prognosis. Gliosarcoma is a variant of glioblastoma multiforme, which is characterized by the presence of both glial and mesenchymal components. The treatment strategy for gliosarcomas has not yet been determined clearly. CASE PRESENTATION: This case report presents a 23-year-old female patient who complained of increasing headaches, nausea and vomiting, and slight motor weakness in her left arm. An MRI scan of the brain showed a tumor filling the anterior part of the right lateral ventricle and extending into the right frontal lobe. Tumor extirpation was performed. Histology revealed gliosarcoma. Subsequently, the patient received concomitant chemoradiotherapy with temozolomide in the Stupp regimen. Following the fourth cycle of maintenance temozolomide chemotherapy, at eight months after diagnosis, an MRI scan detected progression of the tumor residue. The patient underwent another surgery and then received 10 cycles of second-line chemotherapy in the ICE (ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide) regimen. She completed oncological therapy with minimal toxicity and follow-up MRI scans showed virtually no residual tumor. Another follow-up MRI scan, performed 28 months after diagnosis, demonstrated progression of the tumor residue again. A third tumor resection was performed 29 months after initial diagnosis. Histology again confirmed gliosarcoma. An early postoperative MRI scan showed subtotal resection with a tumor residue in eloquent areas and also suspected implantation metastasis in the spinal canal at the C2 level. From the neurological perspective, the patient was fully self-sufficient, and had only a very mild motor deficit in her left arm. Currently, at 31 months after initial diagnosis, the patient is in a stable condition and fully self-sufficient. CONCLUSION: Our case report shows that long-term survival can be achieved in a gliosarcoma patient exhibiting all the unfavorable features in clinical-pathological terms. The minimal recommended treatment is maximal resection followed by adjuvant radiotherapy. Our patient also underwent chemoradiotherapy with temozolomide in the Stupp regimen. Recurrence at eight months after diagnosis was managed by a repeat operation and high-dose combination chemotherapy, which kept the disease in remission for 20 months after the initial relapse. The lack of unequivocal rules for chemotherapy provides an opportunity to test less common treatment regimens.Key words: gliosarcoma - surgery - chemotherapy - radiotherapy - survivalThis study was supported in part by the grant No. NT13581-4/2012(86-91) of the Internal Grant Agency of the Czech Ministry of Health.The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study.The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE recommendation for biomedical papers.Submitted: 26. 3. 2016Accepted: 27. 4. 2016.

[Multimodal Therapy of Recurrent Malignant Schwannoma]. / Kombinovaná lécba recidivujícího maligního schwannomu.

BACKGROUND: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor schwannoma (MPNST), also known as malignant schwannoma, is a very rare tumor accounting for only 2% of all sarcomas. The prognosis is relatively poor, with a 5-year survival rate of 46-69%. The treatment of MPNST has not been standardized yet. Mainstay treatment is radical resection. Oncological adjuvant or neoadjuvant treatment has equivocal indications with unclear effects. CASE: The case report presents a 55-year-old patient who showed resistance in the medial-ventral area of the left lower limb. An MRI scan showed a tumor adjacent to the femoral nerve. Tumor extirpation was performed. Histology revealed malignant schwannoma (MPNST) and the resection was assessed as R0. Postoperative whole-body PET/CT revealed no viable tumor tissue. The patient was regularly followed-up. On a follow-up MRI scan, performed 53 months after initial surgery, tumor recurrence was detected in the left thigh. Extirpation of the recurrent tumor was performed. Histology confirmed MPNST and the resection radicality was assessed as R2. Postoperative PET/CT revealed tumor residues. Therefore, 58 months after the initial surgery, another operation of the residual tumor was performed with R0 resection. Three applicators for interstitial brachytherapy were placed in the resection cavity. Following the operation, radiotherapy with an interstitial brachytherapy boost of 18 Gy followed by external fractionated radiotherapy of 50 Gy were administered. The latest MRI scan, performed 66 months after the diagnosis of MPNST, showed no tumor tissue. The patient had no neurological deficit. CONCLUSION: The mainstay of treatment for MPNST is radical en bloc resection. The use of subsequent oncological therapy depends on the radicality of the resection. In our case, because of the good radicality of the initial surgery, adjuvant oncological therapy was postponed. As part of recurrence management, we again attempted to achieve the most radical resection possible and then apply adjuvant radiotherapy. In MPNST, as in all soft tissue sarcomas, high doses are chosen because of potential radioresistance. Given the confined nature of the disease, we chose this locally intensified therapeutic strategy, which resulted in this case in disease remission. Due to the low incidence of MPNST, it is not possible to test the efficacies of individual oncologic therapeutic procedures in larger patient cohorts.Key words: malignant schwannoma - soft tissue sarcoma - multimodal therapyThe authors declare they have no potential confl icts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study.The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE recommendation for biomedical papers.Submitted: 13. 3. 2016Accepted: 25. 4. 2016.

Glioblastoma multiforme in patients with history of extracranial cancer: Case series.

OBJECTIVES: Significant progress in treatment strategies improves the expectations of patients with extracranial cancers. Metastases are the primary consideration in patients with cancer history. In the case of neurologic disorders, the patient should undergo brain MRI. A rationale is presented for surgery, whole-brain or stereotactic radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. Recently, we have encountered misdiagnosed primary malignant brain tumours in patients with oncologic history who had been admitted for surgery for brain metastases. The aim of our study is to evaluate the incidence of concurrent cancers, to assess the relationship between previous cancer staging and primary brain tumour evaluation as well as to determine treatment efficiency. METHODS: From January 2007 to December 2011, we prospectively followed up patients with concurrent history of both extracranial cancer and subsequent glioblastoma multiforme. Information was collected on the clinical condition, imaging, history of extracranial cancer, previous and present surgical and oncologic procedures, and GBM histologic, cytogenetic, and molecular genetic investigations. RESULTS: Five patients were recruited: three females and two males. The average patient age at the time of GBM diagnosis was 65.6 years. Three patients had a history of breast carcinoma, one of renal carcinoma and one of colorectal carcinoma. Following the diagnosis of carcinoma, three patients received chemotherapy and radiotherapy, one patient had radiotherapy alone, and one had no adjuvant therapy. In all the cases, surgery revealed primary GBM, with a standard occurrence of genetic abnormalities (Table 1). The average time from the diagnosis of extracranial cancer to that of GBM was 4 years. Four patients underwent chemoradiotherapy and one had palliative radiotherapy. Two patients completed oncotherapy and their OS was 27 months and 19 months, respectively. One patient had post-surgical progression of hemiparesis. One patient had pulmonary embolism during oncotherapy and one had paraplegia caused by a pathological fracture of vertebras T5 due to breast carcinoma metastases. The OS was 11.8 months (range 3-27 months). All the patients succumbed to GBM progression.