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Spindle Epithelial Tumor with Thymus-Like Differentiation (SETTLE): A Next-Generation Sequencing Study

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Abstract

Spindle epithelial tumor with thymus-like differentiation (SETTLE) is a malignant biphasic neoplasm of the thyroid or neck with propensity for late metastasis. Unlike synovial sarcoma, its main morphologic mimic, SETTLE lacks synovial sarcoma-associated translocations. A single case of SETTLE has shown a KRAS mutation but to date no comprehensive next generation sequencing studies of this rare neoplasm have been undertaken. Herein, we subjected 5 well defined cases of SETTLE to direct sequence analysis of 592 genes and fusion gene analysis of 52 genes frequently rearranged in human cancers. We identified one case with two pathogenic variants in the KMT2D gene, one being in an intron splice site (c.674-1A>G) and the other being a frameshift variant (p.M2829fs). This same case also had a pathogenic nonsense variant in the KMT2C gene (p.R1237*). A second case of SETTLE carried a pathogenic NRAS missense variant, Q61R. No other molecular alterations, microsatellite instability, gene fusions or amplifications were identified.

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Correspondence to Todd M. Stevens.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Stevens, T.M., Morlote, D., Swensen, J. et al. Spindle Epithelial Tumor with Thymus-Like Differentiation (SETTLE): A Next-Generation Sequencing Study. Head and Neck Pathol 13, 162–168 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12105-018-0927-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12105-018-0927-1

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