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Aspects of intracranial and spinal tumors in patients with Down syndrome and report of a rapidly progressing Grade 2 astrocytoma
Author(s) -
Satgé Daniel,
Monteil Pascal,
Sasco Annie J.,
Vital Anne,
Ohgaki Hiroko,
Geneix Aimé,
Malet Paul,
Vekemans Michel,
Réthoré MarieOdile
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(20010415)91:8<1458::aid-cncr1153>3.0.co;2-b
Subject(s) - medicine , astrocytoma , pathology , glioma , cancer research
BACKGROUND Brain tumors in patients with Down syndrome (DS) rarely are reported, and their behavior is not well known. METHODS The authors report on a male patient age 19 years who had DS with diffuse astrocytoma (World Health Organization Grade 2) that recurred twice despite treatment, leading to a glioblastoma and, finally, to death in just over 2 years. The literature on brain tumors in patients with DS is reviewed. RESULTS Although brain neoplasms were suspected to be in excess in patients with DS, the authors found only 36 patients with brain neoplasms and 2 spinal tumors. An unusual distribution of histologic tumor types, with an over‐representation of germ cell and mesenchymal tumors and a lack of embryonal tumors, was observed, in agreement with what is known currently about the tumor profile of patients with DS. CONCLUSIONS Cerebral tumors in patients with DS have a specific distribution and may behave differently compared with the general population. These features may be related to the gene dosage effect of oncogenes, antioncogenes, and genes involved in cerebral development due to the supernumerary chromosome 21. Cancer 2001;91:1458–66. © 2001 American Cancer Society.