title: Biological prognostic factors in adult soft tissue sarcomas.
abstract: Adult soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are a rare group of highly heterogeneous neoplasms arising in different tissues. They are locally aggressive and can produce recurrence and distant metastasis. The most common metastatic sites are lung, lymph nodes, liver, bone and soft tissues. Staging for STSs has been based on some prognostic information: grade (low vs. intermediate/high grade), size (small vs. large tumors), depth of infiltration (superficial vs. deep neoplasms) and presence or not of distant metastasis. In the last 10 years, a plethora of new markers (proliferation markers and DNA alteration, P-gp, p53, TLS-CHOP, cyclins, survivin, TERT, PAX3-PAX7/FKHR, SYT-SSX1/2, VEGF, E-cadherin and beta-catenin, nm23, SKP-2, p27, CD40) has been studied with regard to their role in promoting progression (in a laboratory setting) and then determining prognosis and therapy (in a clinical setting). In the present survey, we focused on the role of new biological prognostic factors in STSs and also reported the quality of such studies with an ad hoc designed questionnaire.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology, National Cancer Institute, G. Pascale Foundation, via Mariano Semmola, 80131, Naples, Italy. ale.otto@libero.it
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ottaiano
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Chiara
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fazioli
authors.forename: Annarita Aiello
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Talamanca
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Botti
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Milano
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Apice
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor