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Successful treatment of a child with t(15;19)‐positive tumor
Author(s) -
Mertens Fredrik,
Wiebe Thomas,
Adlercreutz Catharina,
Mandahl Nils,
French Christopher A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
pediatric blood and cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.116
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1545-5017
pISSN - 1545-5009
DOI - 10.1002/pbc.20755
Subject(s) - medicine , sarcoma , chemotherapy , radiation therapy , chromosomal translocation , head and neck , oncology , pathology , surgery , gene , biochemistry , chemistry
A subset of poorly differentiated carcinomas is characterized by the translocation t(15;19)(q13;p13), resulting in a BRD4/NUT fusion gene. Typically, this tumor affects children or young adults, with a predilection for midline head and neck or thoracic structures. The clinical course is invariably fatal, in spite of intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We here present the successful treatment of a 10‐year‐old boy who presented with a BRD4/NUT‐positive undifferentiated tumor in the iliac bone. The patient was selected for combined modality therapy, and has remained in complete continuous remission for close to 13 years. The findings show that t(15;19)‐ BRD4/NUT ‐positive tumors may arise in locations more typical for other pediatric tumors, such as Ewing sarcoma, and that they not always display epithelial differentiation. More importantly, our results also demonstrate that at least some patients with t(15;19)‐positive tumors may be successfully treated. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;49:1015–1017. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.