The role of pathology in sarcoma

Abstract

Soft tissue sarcomas are exceedingly rare cancers with more than 100 different histiologic subtypes and tremendous morphologic heterogeneity. Next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques have drastically improved our knowledge about these tumours. The possibility to use these techniques routinely changed the diagnostic standards in soft tissue pathology. Within the last few years pathologists were confronted with a growing number of exceedingly rare, partly molecularly defined, tumour entities. The proposed pathologic diagnosis dictates prognosis and treatment. Therefore, specialized soft tissue pathology units with the possibility to include molecular diagnostics into a histopathological report for diagnostic, predictive and prognostic aspects are needed. A second opinion by a soft tissue pathologist, before final treatment decision, should be mandatory to ensure optimal treatment for all patients by a multidisciplinary team in a specialized centre.