Advances in the Molecular Analysis of Soft Tissue Tumors and Clinical Implications

The emergence of high-throughput molecular technologies has accelerated the discovery of novel diagnostic, prognostic and predictive molecular markers. Clinical implementation of these technologies is expected to transform the practice of surgical pathology. In soft tissue tumor pathology, accurate interpretation of comprehensive genomic data provides useful diagnostic and prognostic information, and informs therapeutic decisions. This article reviews recently developed molecular technologies, focusing on their application to the study of soft tissue tumors. Emphasis is made on practical issues relevant to the surgical pathologist. The concept of genomically-informed therapies is presented as an essential motivation to identify targetable molecular alterations in sarcoma.