Publications by authors named "Giovanna Giannico"

Article Synopsis
  • - The study developed a nomogram to predict the likelihood of pelvic lymph node metastases (ypN+) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in nonmetastatic muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients, finding that ypN+ is linked to worse overall survival.
  • - Data from 6,194 patients were analyzed, revealing that 22.8% of high-risk patients had ypN+, compared to only 8.0% in the low-risk group, with high-risk patients experiencing significantly shorter survival (36.1 vs. 74.0 months).
  • - Key factors contributing to the nomogram included age, time from diagnosis to treatment, and the tumor’s histology and stage, making it a valuable tool for assessing risk
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  • Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) presents diagnostic and treatment challenges, highlighting the need for new biomarkers for tumor detection.
  • * In a study of 139 UTUC cases, Keratin 17 (KRT17) showed significantly higher expression in malignant tumors compared to normal tissue, particularly in noninvasive and invasive forms.
  • * The KRT17 marker demonstrated strong sensitivity (91%) and specificity (69%) for distinguishing benign from malignant tumors, suggesting its potential utility in future diagnostic practices.
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Clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCA) of the urinary tract is a rare malignancy and tumors involving the renal pelvis are notably sparse in the literature, with only 5 other patients reported. We present 5 patients, 4 women, and 1 man, with CCA of the renal pelvis. The age at presentation ranged from 29 to 81 years.

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  • - Oncocytic renal neoplasms pose significant diagnostic challenges, yet are generally nonaggressive, prompting discussion about the necessity of differentiating emerging subtypes like eosinophilic solid and cystic renal cell carcinoma and others.
  • - A survey of 63 urologic pathologists revealed that many encounter complex oncocytic tumors frequently, with 70% agreeing that eosinophilic solid and cystic renal cell carcinoma should be recognized as a distinct category, while opinions were more divided on other types.
  • - Diagnostic approaches varied among pathologists, with 60% hesitant to diagnose oncocytoma through needle biopsies, and a near split on the routine use of immunohistochemistry; common genetic testing was
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  • * The survey received an 85% response rate from 98 uropathologists, revealing strong agreement on distinguishing between luminal and basal UC types, but varied opinions on the importance of certain genetic tests like FGFR3 and TERT promoter mutations.
  • * Most uropathologists acknowledged the aggressive nature of tumors with micropapillary features and favored further evaluation and specific molecular testing for aggressive subtypes, indicating a need for improved consensus in UC classification and treatment strategies.
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Urothelial carcinoma and prostatic adenocarcinoma can have overlapping histologic features and in some instances pose challenges to pathologists. GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a well-established tool to aid in this specific diagnostic dilemma as it has been shown to be a sensitive marker for urothelial carcinoma and a putatively specific marker in excluding prostatic adenocarcinoma. However, in encountering an index tumor of prostatic adenosquamous carcinoma positive for GATA3, herein we sought to investigate this potential diagnostic pitfall in a larger series of tumors.

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Prostate cancer accounts for 29% of malignant diagnoses among men in the United States and is the second leading cause of death from cancer. Effective screening methods and improved treatment have decreased the mortality rate significantly. This decreased mortality rate, however, does not apply to all histologic variants.

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  • Differentiating between bladder cancer and inflammation is really important to avoid doing unnecessary tests and make better treatment choices.
  • A new imaging technology called MultiPIPE can help doctors tell the difference better than current methods.
  • Using MultiPIPE, researchers found it can reduce wrong diagnoses by over 75% and provide clearer information to help doctors with treatment decisions.
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Nowadays, in the case of suspected prostate cancer (PCa), tissue needle biopsy remains the benchmark for diagnosis despite its invasiveness and poor tolerability, as serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is limited by low specificity. The aim of this proteomic study was to identify new diagnostic biomarkers in urine, an easily and non-invasively available sample, able to selectively discriminate cancer from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), evaluating whether the presence of inflammation may be a confounding parameter. The analysis was performed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) on urine samples from PCa and BPH patients, divided into subgroups based on the presence or absence of inflammation.

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There are few pathologic or molecular studies of penile precancerous lesions, and the majority refers to lesions associated with invasive carcinomas. Penile Intraepithelial Neoplasia (PeIN) is classified in two morphologically and distinctive molecular groups, non-HPV and HPV-related with special subtypes. The primary purpose of this international series was to classify PeIN morphologically, detect HPV genotypes and determine their distribution according to PeIN subtypes.

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Objective: Penile neoplasia, usually of squamous histogenesis, is currently classified into human papillomavirus (HPV)-related or -dependent and non-HPV-related or -independent. There are distinct morphological differences among the two groups. New research studies on penile cancer from Northern countries showed that the presence of HPV is correlated with a better prognosis than virus negative people, while studies in Southern countries had not confirmed, perhaps due to differences in staging or treatment.

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Cribriform prostate cancer, found in both invasive cribriform carcinoma (ICC) and intraductal carcinoma (IDC), is an aggressive histological subtype that is associated with progression to lethal disease. To delineate the molecular and cellular underpinnings of ICC/IDC aggressiveness, this study examines paired ICC/IDC and benign prostate surgical samples by single-cell RNA-sequencing, TCR sequencing, and histology. ICC/IDC cancer cells express genes associated with metastasis and targets with potential for therapeutic intervention.

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Aims: Mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency is commonly caused by functional inactivation of MLH1, PMS2, MSH2 or MSH6. The morphological and molecular correlates of MMR deficiency have been extensively characterized in certain tumour types such as colorectal and endometrial adenocarcinoma. In contrast, the histological and molecular features of MMR-deficient prostate cancer remain incompletely described.

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Penile intraepithelial neoplasia (PeIN) is classified as human papillomavirus (HPV)- and non-HPV-related. This classification is associated with distinct morphologic subtypes. The natural history and prognosis of PeIN subtypes are not well known.

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Significance: Tissue birefringence is an important parameter to consider when designing realistic, tissue-mimicking phantoms. Options for suitable birefringent materials that can be used to accurately represent tissue scattering are limited.

Aim: To introduce a method of fabricating birefringent tissue phantoms with a commonly used material-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-for imaging with polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT).

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Urinary diversion and reconstructive urologic procedures are most often performed by incorporating various intestinal segments into the urinary tract. Although the risk of malignancy, among other complications, is well recognized and occurs most frequently after ureterosigmoidostomies and cystoplasties, data on the histopathologic and immunohistochemical characteristics of these tumors are scant. This study aims to evaluate the clinicopathological features of secondary tumors arising after urologic reconstruction procedures.

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Aims: Cribriform morphology, which includes intraductal carcinoma (IDCP) and invasive cribriform carcinoma, is an indicator of poor prognosis in prostate cancer. Phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) loss is a predictor of adverse clinical outcomes. The association between PTEN expression and morphological patterns of prostate cancer is unclear.

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. To compare the clinicopathologic characteristics of urothelial carcinoma (UC), urothelial carcinoma with squamous differentiation (UCSD), and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the bladder, which have been suggested to differ in terms of risk factors, immunophenotype, and prognosis. .

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The severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has had devastating effects on global health and worldwide economy. Despite an initial reluctance to perform autopsies due to concerns for aerosolization of viral particles, a large number of autopsy studies published since May 2020 have shed light on the pathophysiology of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This review summarizes the histopathologic findings and clinicopathologic correlations from autopsies and biopsies performed in patients with COVID-19.

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No well-established staging system exists for bladder leiomyosarcoma (LMS), and the current staging system does not include tumor size, a thoroughly validated prognostic parameter for sarcomas. Uterine and extremity/trunk LMS are more common than those in the bladder and have well-established staging systems incorporating tumor size. We aim to improve the understanding of LMS of the urinary bladder by assessing cancer-specific survival (CSS) and comparing LMS at this unusual anatomic site to those arising at other sites using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

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Background: Renal mass biopsy (RMB) is a safe and accurate method for diagnosis and clinical management of renal masses. However, the non-diagnostic rate is a limiting factor. We tested the hypothesis that imaging characteristics and anatomic complexity of the mass may impact RMB diagnostic outcome using the preoperative aspects and dimensions used for an anatomical (PADUA) classification and radius-exophytic/endophytic-nearness-anterior/posterior-location (RENAL) score.

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Background: Claudin-2 expression is upregulated in multiple cancers and promotes cancer malignancy. Remarkably, the regulation of claudin-2 expression in kidney cell lines contrasts its reported regulation in other organs. However, claudin-2 role in renal clear cell carcinoma (RCC) remains unknown despite its predominant expression in the proximal tubular epithelium (PTE), the site of RCC origin.

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Outcomes for men with localized prostate cancer vary widely, with some men effectively managed without treatment on active surveillance, while other men rapidly progress to metastatic disease despite curative-intent therapies. One of the strongest prognostic indicators of outcome is grade groups based on the Gleason grading system. Gleason grade 4 prostate cancer with cribriform morphology is associated with adverse outcomes and can be utilized clinically to improve risk stratification.

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