Glioblastoma Arising in Lynch-like Syndrome after Repeated Development of Colorectal Cancers: A Case Report.

in Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) by Ayako Togawa, Masayuki Ueno, Mari Yamaoka, Kensuke Takada, Shinichi Nishina, Yuki Ikeda, Yosuke Uenishi, Ayako Hata, Toshifumi Mano, Toshikazu Moriwaki, Hirokazu Mouri, Motowo Mizuno

TLDR

  • This study is about a person who had a family history of cancer and had a tumor in their colon. They had a type of cancer called Lynch-like syndrome, which is similar to Lynch syndrome but has some differences. The study looked at the tumors in their brain and found that they had a type of cancer called glioblastoma. The study also looked at the genes that might be causing the cancer and found that there were no changes in those genes. This study suggests that people with Lynch-like syndrome should be watched for brain tumors, even if they don't have any symptoms.

Abstract

We herein report a patient with Lynch-like syndrome in whom a brain tumor (glioblastoma) developed after repeated resection of colorectal cancer. The patient had a significant family history of cancer. Immunohistochemical expression of mismatch repair proteins was decreased in both brain and colon tumors, but no pathogenic variant of the related genes was detected. Although brain tumors occasionally develop in Lynch syndrome, they have not been reported in cases of Lynch-like syndrome. This first report of Lynch-like syndrome with the development of glioblastoma suggests the need for further investigation on the surveillance of brain tumors in patients with this syndrome.

Overview

  • The study focuses on a patient with Lynch-like syndrome who developed a glioblastoma after repeated resection of colorectal cancer. The hypothesis being tested is whether brain tumors can develop in Lynch-like syndrome. The methodology used for the experiment includes immunohistochemical expression of mismatch repair proteins in both brain and colon tumors, as well as detection of pathogenic variants of related genes. The primary objective of the study is to investigate the possibility of brain tumors developing in Lynch-like syndrome.

Comparative Analysis & Findings

  • The study found that the patient had decreased immunohistochemical expression of mismatch repair proteins in both brain and colon tumors, but no pathogenic variant of the related genes was detected. The development of a glioblastoma in this patient with Lynch-like syndrome suggests that brain tumors can occur in this syndrome, although this is the first reported case. The findings support the need for further investigation on the surveillance of brain tumors in patients with Lynch-like syndrome.

Implications and Future Directions

  • The study highlights the importance of surveillance for brain tumors in patients with Lynch-like syndrome. Further research is needed to determine the incidence and risk factors for brain tumors in this syndrome. Novel approaches, such as genomic sequencing, may also be useful in identifying pathogenic variants associated with brain tumors in Lynch-like syndrome. Clinical guidelines should be updated to include brain tumor surveillance in patients with Lynch-like syndrome.
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