Here, we present 2 case reports of patients with desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT), a very rare and aggressive mesenchymal cancer, and we discuss 2therapeutic options for this sarcoma. This report focuses on men aged 22 and 37 years, respectively. The first patient presented with an abdominopelvic mass which was not suitable for surgery. He underwent chemotherapy (adriblastina and cisplatin) with a brief partial remission and survival time of 13 months. The second patient presented with an abdominal mass and underwent partial resection. He received chemotherapy and bevacizumab, resulting in a partial remission and a survival time of 34 months. The extent of surgery and monoclonal antibody use probably had a positive impact on survival. It is necessary to include specific targeted therapies in an attempt to improve survival. Surprisingly, positron emission tomography was not effective in restaging of the second patient, emphasizing the importance of computed tomography or magnetic resonance in DSRCT.

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Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression has been considered a poor prognostic factor in breast cancer.Methodology: A prospective study of 206 women with breast cancer analysed by stages (I, II, III and IV) and by immunohistochemical subtype (Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2+ and triple-negative (TN)); 89 healthy controls with normal recent mammography were included. The EGFR measured in the serum (sEGFR) was detected by the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method (R&D Systems kit DY231) collected by blood before any treatment in patients. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression were carried out to obtain the prognostic value, considering significance if p < 0.05.Results: With a median follow-up of 36.6 months, 47 deaths occurred. Multivariable Cox regression showed difference of overall survival (OS) associated with sEGFR levels (sEGFR ≤ or > 47.8 ng/mL) in patients with TN cancers, but not of Luminal A, Luminal B or HER2+ subtypes; adjusted by stage, the death risk increased by approximately 415% [hazard ratio (HR): 5.149 (1.900-13.955), p = 0.001] for patients with sEGFR > 47.8 ng/mL compared to patients with a lower sEGFR value. There was no significant correlation of sEGFR with staging, histological tumour grade (G1/ G2/G3), Ki67 (< or ≥14%) or body mass index.Conclusions: Increased sEGFR expression in patients with TN tumours is a significant predictor of lower OS and its quantification is inexpensive and straightforward.