Thoracic Splenosis Mimicking Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumor (NET)

A 64-year-old man presented with abdominal pain. CT scan showed a 5mm left ureter stone, mesenteric root mass as well as a left lung pleuralbased lesion. Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumor (NET) was suspected, hence a Gallium-68 Dotatate PET was performed. It showed intense uptake in the mesenteric mass, as well as in the pleural nodule, and no intense uptake in the liver. The liver is the most common site for small bowel NET metastasis. It is unusual to have pleural metastasis without liver metastasis. A review of this patient’s past medical history revealed a motor vehicle accident 20 years ago which required an exploratory laparotomy and splenectomy. Gallium 68 Dotatate PET scan can detect splenosis because it has somatostatin receptors. In patients with an existing neoplasm, metastases should be ruled out before confirming the diagnosis of splenosis. CT-guided biopsy of pleura nodule was performed, which confirmed the diagnosis of splenosis.

Intradural Extramedullary Spinal Metastasis of a Kidney Cancer: Case Report

Objective To report a case of intradural extramedullary metastasis originated from a kidney neoplasm. Metastases in this topography occur in a low frequency, especially considering that the primary tumor was located along the urinary system. Case Report A male adult begins to present with pain in the lower limbs and develops flaccid paraparesis of the pelvic limbs, also attacking the control of the sphincter. The patient had a previous history of right nephrectomy due to a kidney neoplasm. After investigation with imaging exams, a metastatic lesion was found to be the source of the symptoms. The patient was surgically treated by the neurosurgery team of the hospital. Conclusion Cases like this are not common, and considering the low incidence of these cases and the nonspecific symptoms, such as pain, we do not always come up with the hypothesis of a metastasis in this topography. The surgical treatment, although it is a palliative feature, has an important part in maintaining the performance and the quality of life of the patient.

Antimetastatic therapy targeting aberrant sialylation profiles in cancer cells

Neoplasm metastases involve a fixed cascade of pathological processes, and are responsible for more than 60% cancer deaths worldwide and can only be controlled or inhibited by drugs now. Antimetastatic drugs targeting aberrantly sialylated in tumors have involved about a quarter of a century and might be a future therapeutic option apart from currently utilized antimetastatic drugs, such as antivascular and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitors. Since neoplasm tissues often manifest high levels of sialic acids and sialyl antigens or glycoligands, and some types of sialic acid analogue, such as N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Nau5Gc) occurred in most tumor tissues, is absent in common humans, more attentions are needed to work with new therapeutic approaches to target these changes. Previously preliminary data have shown some compounds that inhibit some pathways of sialic acids can inhibit the tumor metastasis in vitro and tumor metastasis in experimental animal models. This type of pharmacological work can be helped by glycome investigations in order to deep understanding their mechanisms. As the central dogma of glycobiology is still unknown, some fundamental questions related to carbohydrate itself are even more welcoming and decisive to our understanding to nature of cancer. These types of work also need mathematical analysis of data. In this review, we will document and discuss the latest experimental therapeutic data and their clinical significance between cancer pathological profiles and therapeutics benefits.