The Huntsman Cancer Institute - The Use of Microarray Analysis in Characterizing Mesenchymal Tissue Tumors: Differentiation of Normal, Benign, and Malignant Conditions

Bone and soft tissue sarcomas are currently classified based upon light microscopy supplemented by immunohistochemistry, but within many if not all of these tumor histologic types, considerable heterogeneity exists not only in microscopic appearance but also in biologic behavior and prognosis. Progress in the directed treatment of these tumors, particularly the sarcomas, awaits characterization of the gene profiles for these tumors. Orthopedic oncology researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah are establishing a tumor bank for this purpose. The long term objectives of this work include:

1. creating tumor specific gene profiles to improve diagnostic accuracy
2. performing gene set validation for diagnostic predictive power
3. defining a discriminate gene list implicated in pathogenesis

The tissue procured under this protocol at SUNY Upstate Medical University will be limited to excess soft tissue and bone tumor tissue from patients otherwise undergoing clinically indicated procedures for diagnosis or treatment under the care of the local principal investigator (PI) and will be forwarded to the central investigator, R. Lor Randall, MD at Huntsman Cancer Institute for use in the characterization of the gene profiles of these tumors.