Avanish Vellanki, Cofounder and CEO at Rain Therapeutics, gives an overview of well-differentiated and dedifferentiated liposarcoma.

As Mr. Vellanki explains, liposarcoma is a rare cancer originating from fat cells located in the soft tissues of the body. It is a malignant cancer that can spread to other parts of the body. There are five types of liposarcoma. Mr. Vellanki touches on two of them – well-differentiated liposarcoma and dedifferentiated liposarcoma

Well-differentiated liposarcoma is less aggressive and tends to present as a large painless mass found in deeper tissues. 

Dedifferentiated liposarcoma is more aggressive, often arising from well-differentiated liposarcoma, and is usually found in tissue behind the abdominal area or the extremities.

Well-differentiated and dedifferentiated liposarcoma are the most frequent subtypes of liposarcoma and share common genomic abnormalities, most notably the amplification of the MDM2 gene. A phase 3 clinical trial of milademetan (an MDM2 inhibitor) versus trabectedin (standard of care) in patients with dedifferentiated liposarcoma has recently been initiated. For more information about this trial, go here (link Vellanki clinical trial article). 

To learn more about dedifferentiated liposarcoma and other rare cancers, visit checkrare.com/diseases/cancers/