# Primary pulmonary histiocytic sarcoma with CNS metastasis: a case report and molecular profiling insights

**Authors:** Kai Chen, Lei Zhang, Ruotong Wu, Jingxian Wei, Kaige Yang, Chenghua Luo, Haijun Zhang, Lin Tao, Lan Yang, Lian Meng, Weixia Nong, Jianming Hu

PMC · DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2026.1636634 · Frontiers in Oncology · 2026-02-06

## TL;DR

A rare case of aggressive lung cancer called histiocytic sarcoma is reported, with insights into its genetic drivers and poor prognosis.

## Contribution

The study provides molecular profiling and clinical insights into a rare pulmonary histiocytic sarcoma case with CNS metastasis.

## Key findings

- Lung histiocytic sarcoma has significantly worse survival compared to HS at other sites (p=0.03).
- High Ki-67 (>30%) and tumor size (>50 mm) are critical indicators of poor prognosis.
- Molecular drivers include RAS/MAPK and PI3K/mTOR pathway activation, TP53 inactivation, and LOC285045 fusions.

## Abstract

Histiocytic sarcoma (HS), reclassified in the WHO fifth edition as a Histiocytic/dendritic cell neoplasms, represents a rare hematopoietic malignancy with extranodal predominance and aggressive clinical behavior. This study reports the case of a 53-year-old female diagnosed with primary pulmonary HS, who presented with a 60-mm mass in the right middle lobe and later developed fatal brain metastases. Using a combination of pathology, whole-exome sequencing, and fusion gene analysis, we identified key molecular drivers of tumor development and spread. Major findings include the concurrent activation of the RAS/MAPK and PI3K/mTOR pathway activation (118 combined gene variants), TP53 biallelic inactivation, HLA locus alterations, and persistent LOC285045 fusions. Drug sensitivity profiling suggested potential responses to sunitinib and MEK inhibitors. By comparing this case with nine other reported cases of lung HS, we found that lung HS has a significantly worse survival (p=0.03) than HS at other sites. A high cell growth rate (Ki-67 >30%) and large tumor size (>50 mm) were identified as critical indicators of poor prognosis.

## Linked entities

- **Genes:** TP53 (tumor protein p53) [NCBI Gene 7157]
- **Chemicals:** sunitinib (PubChem CID 5329102)
- **Diseases:** histiocytic sarcoma (MONDO:0019479)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** CDK6 (cyclin dependent kinase 6) [NCBI Gene 1021] {aka MCPH12, PLSTIRE}, HGF (hepatocyte growth factor) [NCBI Gene 3082] {aka DFNB39, F-TCF, HGFB, HPTA, SF}, NOTCH1 (notch receptor 1) [NCBI Gene 4851] {aka AOS5, AOVD1, TAN1, hN1}, CD34 (CD34 molecule) [NCBI Gene 947], HLA-E (major histocompatibility complex, class I, E) [NCBI Gene 3133] {aka HLA-6.2, QA1}, SLC4A1 (solute carrier family 4 member 1 (Diego blood group)) [NCBI Gene 6521] {aka AE1, BND3, CD233, CHC, DI, EMPB3}, FLT3 (fms related receptor tyrosine kinase 3) [NCBI Gene 2322] {aka CD135, FLK-2, FLK2, STK1}, MPL (MPL proto-oncogene, thrombopoietin receptor) [NCBI Gene 4352] {aka C-MPL, CD110, MPLV, THCYT2, THPOR, TPOR}, BRAF (B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine kinase) [NCBI Gene 673] {aka B-RAF1, B-raf, BRAF-1, BRAF1, NS7, RAFB1}, BARD1 (BRCA1 associated RING domain 1) [NCBI Gene 580], PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) [NCBI Gene 5728] {aka 10q23del, BZS, CWS1, DEC, GLM2, MHAM}, HBB (hemoglobin subunit beta) [NCBI Gene 3043] {aka CD113t-C, ECYT6, beta-globin}, CDKN2A (cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 2A) [NCBI Gene 1029] {aka ARF, CAI2, CDK4I, CDKN2, CMM2, INK4}, ANPEP (alanyl aminopeptidase, membrane) [NCBI Gene 290] {aka AP-M, AP-N, APN, CD13, GP150, LAP1}, TP53 (tumor protein p53) [NCBI Gene 7157] {aka BCC7, BMFS5, LFS1, P53, TRP53}, CD68 (CD68 molecule) [NCBI Gene 968] {aka GP110, LAMP4, SCARD1}, MAP2K7 (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7) [NCBI Gene 5609] {aka JNKK2, MAPKK7, MEK, MEK 7, MKK7, PRKMK7}, HLA-DQA1 (major histocompatibility complex, class II, DQ alpha 1) [NCBI Gene 3117] {aka CELIAC1, DQ-A1, DQA1, HLA-DQA, HLA-DQA1*}, CR2 (complement C3d receptor 2) [NCBI Gene 1380] {aka C3DR, CD21, CR, CVID7, SLEB9}, NRAS (NRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase) [NCBI Gene 4893] {aka ALPS4, CMNS, N-ras, NCMS, NRAS1, NS6}, USP32 (ubiquitin specific peptidase 32) [NCBI Gene 84669] {aka NY-REN-60, USP10}, EZH2 (enhancer of zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit) [NCBI Gene 2146] {aka ENX-1, ENX1, EZH2b, KMT6, KMT6A, WVS}, ZHX2 (zinc fingers and homeoboxes 2) [NCBI Gene 22882] {aka AFR1, RAF}, WNT6 (Wnt family member 6) [NCBI Gene 7475], CD79A (CD79a molecule) [NCBI Gene 973] {aka IGA, IGAlpha, MB-1, MB1}, VIM (vimentin) [NCBI Gene 7431], IGH (immunoglobulin heavy locus) [NCBI Gene 3492] {aka IGD1, IGH.1@, IGH@, IGHD@, IGHDY1, IGHJ}, CD163 (CD163 molecule) [NCBI Gene 9332] {aka M130, MM130, SCARI1}, PECAM1 (platelet and endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1) [NCBI Gene 5175] {aka CD31, CD31/EndoCAM, GPIIA', PECA1, PECAM-1, endoCAM}, LZTR1 (leucine zipper like post translational regulator 1) [NCBI Gene 8216] {aka BTBD29, LZTR-1, NS10, NS2, SWNTS2}, NCAM1 (neural cell adhesion molecule 1) [NCBI Gene 4684] {aka CD56, MSK39, NCAM}, PRKCE (protein kinase C epsilon) [NCBI Gene 5581] {aka PKCE, nPKC-epsilon}, TBC1D3 (TBC1 domain family member 3) [NCBI Gene 729873] {aka PRC17}, FLT1 (fms related receptor tyrosine kinase 1) [NCBI Gene 2321] {aka FLT, FLT-1, VEGFR-1, VEGFR1}, NOD1 (nucleotide binding oligomerization domain containing 1) [NCBI Gene 10392] {aka CARD4, CLR7.1, NLRC1, hNod1}, FTH1 (ferritin heavy chain 1) [NCBI Gene 2495] {aka FHC, FTH, FTHL6, HFE5, NBIA9, PIG15}, MDM2 (MDM2 proto-oncogene) [NCBI Gene 4193] {aka ACTFS, HDMX, LSKB, hdm2}, KRT20 (keratin 20) [NCBI Gene 54474] {aka CD20, CK-20, CK20, K20, KRT21}, PTPRC (protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type C) [NCBI Gene 5788] {aka B220, CD45, CD45R, GP180, IMD105, L-CA}, JAK3 (Janus kinase 3) [NCBI Gene 3718] {aka JAK-3, JAK3_HUMAN, JAKL, L-JAK, LJAK}, HLA-DRA (major histocompatibility complex, class II, DR alpha) [NCBI Gene 3122] {aka HLA-DRA1}, ATRX (ATRX chromatin remodeler) [NCBI Gene 546] {aka JMS, MRX52, RAD54, RAD54L, XH2, XNP}, MYC (MYC proto-oncogene, bHLH transcription factor) [NCBI Gene 4609] {aka MRTL, MYCC, bHLHe39, c-Myc}, KDR (kinase insert domain receptor) [NCBI Gene 3791] {aka CD309, FLK1, VEGFR, VEGFR2}, CT45A1 (cancer/testis antigen family 45 member A1) [NCBI Gene 541466] {aka CT45, CT45-1, CT45.1}, MAP2K1 (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1) [NCBI Gene 5604] {aka CFC3, MAPKK1, MEK1, MEL, MKK1, PRKMK1}, FGFR4 (fibroblast growth factor receptor 4) [NCBI Gene 2264] {aka CD334, JTK2, TKF}, ATM (ATM serine/threonine kinase) [NCBI Gene 472] {aka AT1, ATA, ATC, ATD, ATDC, ATE}, PTPN11 (protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 11) [NCBI Gene 5781] {aka BPTP3, CFC, JMML, METCDS, NS1, PTP-1D}, CHD2 (chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 2) [NCBI Gene 1106] {aka DEE94, EEOC}, PIK3R6 (phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 6) [NCBI Gene 146850] {aka C17orf38, HsT41028, p84 PIKAP, p87(PIKAP), p87PIKAP}, MLANA (melan-A) [NCBI Gene 2315] {aka MART-1, MART1}, MAPK3 (mitogen-activated protein kinase 3) [NCBI Gene 5595] {aka ERK-1, ERK1, ERT2, HS44KDAP, HUMKER1A, P44ERK1}, HLA-A (major histocompatibility complex, class I, A) [NCBI Gene 3105] {aka HLAA}, HOXD@ (homeobox D cluster) [NCBI Gene 3230] {aka HOX4@}, RASA1 (RAS p21 protein activator 1) [NCBI Gene 5921] {aka CM-AVM, CMAVM, CMAVM1, GAP, PKWS, RASA}, SGK2 (serum/glucocorticoid regulated kinase 2) [NCBI Gene 10110] {aka H-SGK2, dJ138B7.2}, CT47A10 (cancer/testis antigen family 47 member A10) [NCBI Gene 728036] {aka CT47, CT47.10}, FUT4 (fucosyltransferase 4) [NCBI Gene 2526] {aka CD15, ELFT, FCT3A, FUC-TIV, FUTIV, LeX}, CDK4 (cyclin dependent kinase 4) [NCBI Gene 1019] {aka CMM3, MCPH31, PSK-J3}
- **Diseases:** HS (MESH:D054747), squamous cell carcinoma (MESH:D002294), intracranial mass lesion (MESH:C536030), vomiting (MESH:D014839), fever (MESH:D005334), hematopoietic malignancy (MESH:D019337), epithelioid sarcoma (MESH:D012509), chest pain (MESH:D002637), classical Hodgkin lymphoma (MESH:D006689), tumorigenesis (MESH:D063646), lymphadenopathy (MESH:D008206), respiratory failure (MESH:D012131), pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma (MESH:D012208), lung adenocarcinoma (MESH:D000077192), metastatic lesion (MESH:D000092182), epithelial tumors (MESH:D002277), Lung Lesion (MESH:D008171), Cancer (MESH:D009369), adenocarcinoma (MESH:D000230), bronchogenic carcinoma (MESH:D002283), headache (MESH:D006261), malignant melanoma (MESH:D008545), Rosai-Dorfman disease (MESH:D015618), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (MESH:D016403), CNS (MESH:D002494), Histiocytic/dendritic cell neoplasms (MESH:D018307), cerebral herniation (MESH:D004677), hypokalemia (MESH:D007008), aggressiveness (MESH:D010554), lymphoid malignancies (MESH:D008223), lymph node metastasis (MESH:D008207), B-cell lymphoma (MESH:D016393), Primary (MESH:D010538), myeloid sarcoma (MESH:D023981), follicular dendritic cell sarcoma (MESH:D054740), death (MESH:D003643), CRC (MESH:D015179), anemia (MESH:D000740), brain metastasis (MESH:D009362)
- **Chemicals:** Sorafenib (MESH:D000077157), trametinib (MESH:C560077), Sunitinib (MESH:D000077210), methotrexate (MESH:D008727), sirolimus (MESH:D020123), Axitinib (MESH:D000077784), platinum (MESH:D010984), dabrafenib (MESH:C561627), larotrectinib (MESH:C000609083), Pazopanib (MESH:C516667), Vandetanib (MESH:C452423), CHOP regimen (MESH:C036337), Doxorubicin Hydrochloride (MESH:D004317), Dactinomycin (MESH:D003609), cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone (-), HE (MESH:D006371)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]
- **Mutations:** V600E, L265P

## Full text

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## References

50 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12920180/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12920180