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The comparative utility of fluorescence in situ hybridization and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma

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Abstract

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for FOXO1 gene rearrangement and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for PAX3/7-FOXO1 fusion transcripts have become routine ancillary tools for the diagnosis of alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas (ARMS). Here we summarize our experience of these adjunct diagnostic modalities at a tertiary center, presenting the largest comparative series of FISH and PCR for suspected or possible ARMS to date. All suspected or possible ARMS tested by FISH or PCR for FOXO1 rearrangement or PAX3/7-FOXO1 fusion transcripts over a 7-year period were included. FISH and PCR results were correlated with clinical and histologic findings. One hundred samples from 95 patients had FISH and/or PCR performed. FISH had higher rates of technical success (96.8 %) compared with PCR (88 %). Where both tests were utilized successfully, there was high concordance rate between them (94.9 %). In 24 histologic ARMS tested for FISH or PCR, 83.3 % were translocation-positive (all for PAX3-FOXO1 by PCR) and included 3 histologic solid variants. In 76 cases where ARMS was excluded, there were 3 potential false-positive cases with FISH but none with PCR. PCR had similar sensitivity (85.7 %) and better specificity (100 %) in aiding the diagnosis of ARMS, compared with FISH (85 and 95.8 %, respectively). All solid variant ARMS harbored FOXO1 gene rearrangements and PAX3-FOXO1 ARMS were detected to the exclusion of PAX7-FOXO1. In comparative analysis, both FISH and PCR are useful in aiding the diagnosis of ARMS and excluding its sarcomatous mimics. FISH is more reliable technically but has less specificity than PCR. In cases where ARMS is in the differential diagnosis, it is optimal to perform both PCR and FISH: both have similar sensitivities for detecting ARMS, but FISH may confirm or exclude cases that are technically unsuccessful with PCR, while PCR can detect specific fusion transcripts that may be useful prognostically.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge support from the NIHR Royal Marsden/ICR Biomedical Research Centre. We are also very grateful to Dr Toon Min (Clinical Cytogeneticist, Clinical Cytogenetics, Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey, UK) for his help in analyzing the cases.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Sarcoma Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, 203 Fulham Road, London, SW3 6JJ, UK

      Khin Thway & Cyril Fisher

    2. Department of Histopathology, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK

      Jayson Wang

    3. Molecular Diagnostics, Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey, UK

      Dorte Wren & David Gonzalez

    4. Clinical Cytogenetics, Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey, UK

      Melissa Dainton & John Swansbury

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    1. Khin Thway
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    Correspondence to Khin Thway.

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    Khin Thway and Jayson Wang contributed equally to this work.

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    Thway, K., Wang, J., Wren, D. et al. The comparative utility of fluorescence in situ hybridization and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Virchows Arch 467, 217–224 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-015-1777-9

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-015-1777-9

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