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Molecular genetic findings in two cases of sarcomatoid carcinoma of the ureter: evidence for evolution from a common pluripotent progenitor cell?

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Abstract

The current World Health Organization classification recommends the usage of the term sarcomatoid carcinoma (SC) for all biphasic malignant neoplasms of the urinary tract exhibiting morphologic and/or immunohistochemical evidence of epithelial and mesenchymal differentiation. While most SC have been described in the urinary bladder, ureteral SC are extremely rare tumors. Here, we report on the clinical, morphological, and molecular biological findings of two cases in this unusual location. The genetic alterations investigated by comparative genomic hybridization in the epithelial and the mesenchymal component of both cases showed considerable but not complete overlap. Moreover, in spite of many morphological differences between the two cases, both cases shared some genetic gains and losses. Our findings are compatible with the concept that SC originates from a common pluripotent progenitor cell with a potential for epithelial and mesenchymal differentiation.

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Acknowledgment

Marx A and Ströbel P are supported by grants LSHB-CT-2003-503410 (Euro-Thymaide) and 10-1740 of the Deutsche Krebshilfe.

Conflict of interest statement

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Pathology, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Straße 2, 97080, Würzburg, Germany

    Hans-Ullrich Völker, Andreas Zettl, Andreas Rosenwald & Hans-Konrad Müller-Hermelink

  2. Department of Urology, Missionsärztliche Klinik, Würzburg, Germany

    Georg Schön & Elmar Heinrich

  3. Department of Urology, Juliusspital, Würzburg, Germany

    Vitus Heller

  4. Institute of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Karlstadt, Germany

    Mathias Handwerker

  5. Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany

    Alexander Marx & Philipp Ströbel

Authors
  1. Hans-Ullrich Völker
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  2. Andreas Zettl
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  3. Georg Schön
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  4. Vitus Heller
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  5. Elmar Heinrich
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  6. Andreas Rosenwald
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  7. Mathias Handwerker
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  8. Alexander Marx
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  9. Philipp Ströbel
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Correspondence to Hans-Ullrich Völker.

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Völker, HU., Zettl, A., Schön, G. et al. Molecular genetic findings in two cases of sarcomatoid carcinoma of the ureter: evidence for evolution from a common pluripotent progenitor cell?. Virchows Arch 452, 457–463 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-008-0583-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-008-0583-z

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