A case report of concurrent embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in an adult without identifiable cancer predisposition

Biomark Res. 2017 Feb 8:5:7. doi: 10.1186/s40364-017-0086-7. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Rhabdomyosarcoma, the most common soft tissue sarcoma of childhood. makes up less than 1% of solid malignancies in adults with around 400 new cases each year in the United States. They have not previously been reported concurrently.

Case presentation: A 37 year old woman presented with painful enlarging leg mass. Biopsy of the mass was consistent with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Staging imaging revealed a PET avid anterior mediastinal lymph node. Excisional biopsy of this mass was consistent with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Hybridization capture-based next-generation DNA sequencing did not reveal shared somatic tumor mutations. Germline analysis did not show identifiable aberrations of TP53 or other heritable cancer susceptibility genes. She was treated with a personalized chemotherapy regimen combining features of R-CHOP and Children's Oncology Group ARST 0331.

Conclusions: This case illustrates a unique clinical entity successfully treated with a personalized chemotherapeutic regimen.

Keywords: Case report; Diffuse large B cell lymphoma; Molecular analysis; Rhabdomyosarcoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports