Rare Forms Of Cancer To Be Aware Of

Small Blue Round Cell Tumors

The name might sound non-threatening or even a type to scoff at. However, small-blue-round-cell-tumor, also known as SBRCT, is any one of a group of malignant, and often fatal, neoplasms that appear under a microscope. For instance, this disease consists of small round cells that stain blue on routine Hematoxylin & Eosin stain (H&E) sections, a principle stain in histology. These tumors, unfortunately, develop more often in children than in adults, and they usually represent undifferentiated cells. The significance of the blue staining represents the cells found in the nucleus, where cancer can be detected.

Small blue round cell tumors often lead to Desmoplastic small round cell tumors, which can lead to a multitude of cancers including Neuroblastoma, Mesothelioma, Small cell lung cancer, Wilms’ tumor, Merkel cell carcinoma, and Small-cell lymphoma. Although a majority of these rare types of cancer happen to adults, they can occur in children if small blue round cell tumors occur, due to the primitive cells found in childhood.

Let’s find out how small blue round cell tumor develops into the often fatal Desmoplastic small round cell tumor.