[Tumors with predominantly adipocytic morphology]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pathology
• Genetics

Background:

• Adipocytic neoplasms constitute over 20% of soft-tissue tumors.
• Differential diagnosis of lipomas, atypical lipomatous tumors, and liposarcomas can be challenging, particularly with limited biopsy tissue.
• Accurate subtyping and grading are crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the morphological and genomic characteristics of key adipocytic tumor subtypes.
• To highlight the role of molecular pathology in improving the diagnosis of adipocytic neoplasms.
• To provide a resource for pathologists and oncologists dealing with these tumors.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on adipocytic neoplasms.
• Analysis of morphological features used in diagnosis.
• Integration of genomic alterations associated with specific adipocytic tumor subtypes.
• Discussion of the utility of molecular diagnostic assays.

Main Results:

• Over 90% of adipocytic tumors possess specific genomic alterations, facilitating diagnosis.
• Molecular data significantly aids in distinguishing challenging entities like lipomas from liposarcomas.
• Genomic profiles help in the detailed subtyping of liposarcomas.

Conclusions:

• Molecular pathology has revolutionized the diagnostic accuracy of adipocytic tumors.
• Genomic alterations are key discriminators for adipocytic neoplasm classification.
• Integrating morphological and molecular data is essential for optimal diagnosis and patient care.