Liposarcoma in children and young adults: a clinicopathologic and molecular study of 23 cases in one of the largest institutions of China

Virchows Arch. 2021 Sep;479(3):537-549. doi: 10.1007/s00428-021-03076-8. Epub 2021 Mar 18.

Abstract

The incidence of pediatric liposarcoma is rare and most published cases lack systematic genetic analyses. We present clinicopathologic and genetic features of 23 liposarcomas aged <22 years. The study cohort comprised 10 males and 13 females (M:F=1:1.3) aged 11-21 years (median 17 years). The tumors predominantly occurred at the extremities (16/23; 69.6%), followed by the head/neck (2/23; 8.7%), chest (2/23; 8.7%), waist (2/23, 8.7%), and retroperitoneum (1/23; 4.3%). The tumor subtypes were sixteen myxoid liposarcoma (ML), one well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDL), two dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDL), one pleomorphic liposarcoma (PL), and three myxoid pleomorphic liposarcoma (MPL) cases. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis identified MDM2/CDK4 amplification in all WDL/DDL cases (3/3; 100%) and DDIT3 rearrangement in all ML cases (13/13; 100%). Whole-exome sequencing indicated that one PL case and one MPL case exhibited RB1 loss. The two tested MPL cases had TP53 mutation and one of them harbored a TP53 germline mutation. Follow-up information was available for 20 patients (20/23; 87.0%) with a median follow-up duration of 42.5 months (range, 13-120 months). Three patients exhibited tumor progression (3/20;15.0%). Seventeen patients (17/20; 85.0%) survived with no evidence of disease. One MPL case (1/20; 5.0%) died of the disease. In conclusion, despite some overlaps, the occurrence, distribution of subtype, and prognosis of liposarcoma are overall different in children and adults. Most MLs and ALT/WDL/DDLs showed similar genetic aberrations with adult counterparts. Molecular features of MPL overlapped with those of conventional PL. The genetic characteristics including Tp53 status of MPL need further investigation.

Keywords: Liposarcoma; Li–Fraumeni syndrome; Molecular analysis; Pediatric sarcoma; Prognosis.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics*
  • Child
  • China
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4 / genetics
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Disease Progression
  • Exome Sequencing
  • Female
  • Gene Amplification
  • Gene Rearrangement
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Germ-Line Mutation
  • Humans
  • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
  • Liposarcoma / genetics*
  • Liposarcoma / mortality
  • Liposarcoma / pathology
  • Liposarcoma / surgery
  • Male
  • Phenotype
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / genetics
  • Retinoblastoma Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Time Factors
  • Transcription Factor CHOP / genetics
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / genetics
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • DDIT3 protein, human
  • RB1 protein, human
  • Retinoblastoma Binding Proteins
  • TP53 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • Transcription Factor CHOP
  • MDM2 protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • CDK4 protein, human
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4