Soft Tissue Tumors: Liposarcoma: Myxoid liposarcoma

Note Sarcomas are relatively rare malignant tumours and comprise less than 10% of all cancers. Classical classifications of sarcomas are based on the site of tumour (bone or soft tissue). Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is the collective term used for malignancies arising in muscles, fat, vessels, the peripheral nervous system and fibrous tissue. Histopathologic examination of such tumours has revealed a large number of distinct entities, each displaying its own morphologic and clinical characteristics. Cytogenetic and molecular genetic analyses have shown that some of these STS are characterized by specific chromosomal translocations, whereas other STS show complex genetic aberrations. Liposarcoma is the most common soft tissue malignancy in adults accounting for at least 20% of all sarcomas in this age group. Myxoid-round cell liposarcoma is a subtype of liposarcoma characterized by the presence of the reciprocal chromosomal translocation t(12;16)(q13;p11). This translocation creates the FUS-DDIT3 chimeric gene.