The clinical significance of the FUS-CREB3L2 translocation in low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma

Description: Low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma (LGFMS) is a rare soft-tissue neoplasm with a deceptively benign histological appearance. Local recurrences and metastases can manifest many years following excision. The FUS-CREB3L2 gene translocation, which occurs commonly in LGFMS, may be detected by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH). We assessed the relationship between clinical outcome and translocation test result by both methods.
Conclusions RT-PCR and FISH for the FUS-CREB3L2 fusion transcript are useful tools for confirming LGFMS diagnosis, but have no role in predicting medium-term clinical outcome. Due to the propensity for late recurrence or metastasis, wide excision is essential, and longer-term follow-up is required. This may identify a difference in long-term clinical outcome between translocation-positive and negative patients.
The clinical significance of the FUS-CREB3L2 translocation in low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma Barry Rose, George S Tamvakopoulos, Kamaljit Dulay, Robin Pollock, John Skinner, Timothy Briggs and Steven Cannon Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research 2011, 6:15 (full text)