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:: Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) Defined ::

Leiomyosarcoma (Gr. Leio- =smooth, myo- = muscle, sarcoma = fleshy growth) is a type of sarcoma which is a neoplasm of smooth muscle. (When a uterine neoplasm is benign, it is a leiomyoma.) Smooth muscle cells make up the involuntary muscles, which are found in most parts of the body: in uterus, stomach and intestines, walls of all blood vessels, and skin. It is therefore possible for leiomyosarcomas to appear at any site in the body. It is however most commonly found in the stomach, small intestine and retroperitoneum.

Leiomyosarcoma is a very rare cancer. It makes up 5-10% of soft tissue sarcomas, which are in themselves rare cancers.

:: About Leiomyosarcoma ::

Leiomyosarcoma is a form of cancer that affects the smooth muscle of the body. It spreads through the blood stream and can affect the lungs, liver, blood vessels, or any other soft tissue in the body.

LMS is a type of sarcoma which is a neoplasm of smooth muscle. Smooth muscle cells make up the involuntary muscles, which are found in most parts of the body: in the uterus, stomach and intestines, walls of all blood vessels, and skin.

Leiomyosarcoma is a very rare cancer. It makes up 7% of soft tissue sarcomas; in all, LMS affects 4 out of 1,000,000 people.

Presently there is no cure. Remission can be attained, but this rare cancer can reappear at any time. Because of its rarity, few doctors know how to treat it and it attracts very little research.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

PET Scans and LMS

http://www.steinfurthinstruments.com/pictures/LMS_Gesamtansicht_co_jn.jpg

Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in leiomyosarcoma:
imaging characteristics.

Nucl Med Commun. 2009 May 13. [Epub ahead of print]

Punt SE, Eary JF, Oʼsullivan J, Conrad EU.
aDepartments of Radiology and Orthopedics, University of Washington,
Seattle, Washington, USA bDepartment of Statistics, University
College, Cork, Ireland.

OBJECTIVE: Leiomyosarcoma, a malignant neoplasm of smooth muscle,
accounts for 7% of the sarcomas. Patients with leiomyosarcoma tumors
have an average survival of 5 years. These tumors, which are derived
from mesenchymal tissues, are difficult to diagnose, and treatment
options remain controversial. The relatively rare incidence of this
soft tissue sarcoma subtype has limited the number of patients
available for studies and research. This study examines whether the
imaging characteristics of positron emission tomography (PET) with
radiolabeled fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) provide a reliable, noninvasive
means to predict tumor behavior in patients with leiomyosarcomas.

METHODS: [F]-FDG-PET was performed on the tumors of participating
patients before the neoadjuvant chemotherapy or resection, and a
maximum tumor standard uptake value (SUVmax) was calculated.

RESULTS: The SUVmax was correlated with tumor grade (P=0.001) and
tumor size as greatest dimension (P=0.004). Analysis of these data
indicated the potential effectiveness of FDG-PET imaging in predicting
tumor grade.

CONCLUSION: In leiomyosarcoma, the SUVmax from FDG-PET is a likely
predictor of tumor behavior. The results of this study suggest that a
large (by greatest dimension) intermediate grade tumor is expected to
have the same predicted outcome as a high-grade tumor and should be
treated in the same manner, as they share the same prognosis by
definition of tumor grade. Improvements made in the clinical treatment
of leiomyosarcomas by use of FDG-PET imaging data may lead to an
increase in patient survival.

PMID: 19440162
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