An international Ki67 reproducibility study.

Background: In breast cancer, immunohistochemical assessment of proliferation using the marker Ki67 has potential use in both research and clinical management. However, lack of consistency across laboratories has limited Ki67's value. A working group was assembled to devise a strategy to harmonize Ki67 analysis and increase scoring concordance.

Calculator for ovarian carcinoma subtype prediction.

With the emerging evidence that the five major ovarian carcinoma subtypes (high-grade serous, clear cell, endometrioid, mucinous, and low-grade serous) are distinct disease entities, management of ovarian carcinoma will become subtype specific in the future. In an effort to improve diagnostic accuracy, we set out to determine if an immunohistochemical panel of molecular markers could reproduce consensus subtype assignment. Immunohistochemical expression of 22 biomarkers were examined on tissue microarrays constructed from 322 archival ovarian carcinoma samples from the British Columbia Cancer Agency archives, for the period between 1984 and 2000, and an independent set of 242 cases of ovarian carcinoma from the Gynaecologic Tissue Bank at Vancouver General Hospital from 2001 to 2008.

Primary ovarian mucinous carcinoma of intestinal type: significance of pattern of invasion and immunohistochemical expression profile in a series of 31 cases.

Primary ovarian mucinous carcinomas of the intestinal type are uncommon and earlier reports have included cases diagnosed according to older, less stringent, criteria (which would now be considered borderline tumors) and variable numbers of cases of metastatic adenocarcinoma. This study was conducted to identify all cases of primary mucinous carcinoma of the ovary in a population-based registry, diagnosed according to WHO 2003 criteria, and to characterize their histologic features, immunohistochemical expression profile, and outcome. Thirty-one cases of primary ovarian mucinous carcinoma were included in this study.

Mutation of FOXL2 in granulosa-cell tumors of the ovary.

Background: Granulosa-cell tumors (GCTs) are the most common type of malignant ovarian sex cord-stromal tumor (SCST). The pathogenesis of these tumors is unknown. Moreover, their histopathological diagnosis can be challenging, and there is no curative treatment beyond surgery.

Validation of immature adipogenic status and identification of prognostic biomarkers in myxoid liposarcoma using tissue microarrays.

Myxoid liposarcoma displays variably aggressive behavior and responds poorly to available systemic therapies. Expression profiling followed by tissue microarray validation linked to patient outcome is a powerful approach for validating biological mechanisms and identifying prognostic biomarkers. We applied these techniques to independent series of primary myxoid liposarcomas in an effort to assess markers of adipose differentiation in myxoid liposarcoma and to identify prognostic markers that can be efficiently assessed by immunohistochemistry.

Progesterone receptor is a significant factor associated with clinical outcomes and effect of adjuvant tamoxifen therapy in breast cancer patients.

Estrogen receptor status in breast cancer is associated with response to hormonal therapy and clinical outcome. The additional value of progesterone receptor (PR) has remained controversial. We examine the value of PR for prognosis and response to tamoxifen on a population-based series of 4,046 invasive early stage breast cancer patients.

IGF2BP3 (IMP3) expression is a marker of unfavorable prognosis in ovarian carcinoma of clear cell subtype.

Clear cell carcinoma is an uncommon subtype of ovarian carcinoma, accounting for 10% of cases. Clear cell carcinoma typically presents with stage I or II disease, and in this setting prognostic markers could aid in management decisions, in particular the decision to treat with adjuvant chemotherapy. We tested whether expression of insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 3 (IGF2BP3, also known as IMP3) can serve as a new biomarker to predict outcome for patients with clear cell carcinoma and other subtypes of ovarian carcinoma.

Ovarian carcinoma subtypes are different diseases: implications for biomarker studies.

Background: Although it has long been appreciated that ovarian carcinoma subtypes (serous, clear cell, endometrioid, and mucinous) are associated with different natural histories, most ovarian carcinoma biomarker studies and current treatment protocols for women with this disease are not subtype specific. With the emergence of high-throughput molecular techniques, distinct pathogenetic pathways have been identified in these subtypes. We examined variation in biomarker expression rates between subtypes, and how this influences correlations between biomarker expression and stage at diagnosis or prognosis.

Kisspeptin and GPR54 immunoreactivity in a cohort of 518 patients defines favourable prognosis and clear cell subtype in ovarian carcinoma.

Background: Kisspeptins and their G-protein coupled receptor, GPR54 are required for GnRH release and have been associated with anti-metastatic tumour cell behaviour in model systems. The latter might suggest that their overexpression would be associated with a better prognosis in cancer. However, kisspeptin/GPR54 interactions (autocrine, paracrine, and/or endocrine) could also impact tumour behaviour in a negative manner.