Clinical Applications of Molecular Markers in Bone Tumors

Pathologic diagnosis of primary bone neoplasms can be challenging primarily due to rarity of the disease entities, overlapping imaging and histologic findings, and lack of tumor-specific immunohistochemical stains. Although slow to evolve, in recent years there has been a rapid advance in the discovery of new and novel molecular markers in primary bone neoplasms, which has enhanced diagnostic accuracy and has shed light into their pathogenesis. Modern technological approaches such as next-generation sequencing including RNA sequencing are serving as "rapid discovery platforms" for new and novel mutations and translocations with diagnostic, prognostic, and possible therapeutic applicability. As next-generation sequencing technologies are finding their place in clinical laboratories, one could envision routine testing for mutations spanning across a gene or translocations with multiple breakpoints and partner genes. This review will focus on the clinical relevance and applicability of molecular markers in primary bone neoplasms with examples.