Liposarcoma: molecular targets and therapeutic implications

Abstract

Liposarcoma (LPS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma and accounts for approximately 20 % of all adult sarcomas. Current treatment modalities (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy) all have limitations; therefore, molecularly driven studies are needed to improve the identification and increased understanding of genetic and epigenetic deregulations in LPS if we are to successfully target specific tumorigenic drivers. It can be anticipated that such biology-driven therapeutics will improve treatments by selectively deleting cancer cells while sparing normal tissues. This review will focus on several therapeutically actionable molecular markers identified in well-differentiated LPS and dedifferentiated LPS, highlighting their potential clinical applicability.

Keywords: 12q13–15 amplicons; Biomarker; Dedifferentiated liposarcoma; Exosome; MDM2; Molecular-cytogenetic analysis; miRNAs.

Fig. 1

Well-differentiated and dedifferentiated liposarcoma. a Hematoxylin and eosin stain of WDLPS (magnification ×200). Image shows a lipomatous tumor with broad and cellular septa containing hyperchromatic cells. b Hyperchromasia of the atypical cells, consistent with atypical lipomatous tumor/well-differentiated liposarcoma (magnification ×400). c Hematoxylin and eosin stain of DDLPS (magnification ×200). Image demonstrates the biphasic malignant neoplasm composed of a high-grade spindle cell sarcoma separated from a well-differentiated fatty tumor by a fibrous capsule. The inset on the lower left shows scattered single hyperchromatic cells within the fatty tumor consistent with the WDLPS component of DDLPS. d Positive MDM2 gene amplification by fluorescence in situ hybridization observed in both WD and DDLPS