Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy Specimens: Adequate Diagnostic Yield and Accuracy Can Be Achieved without On-Site Evaluation.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (EUS-FNA) is the preferred method for biopsying the gastrointestinal tract, and rapid on-site cytological evaluation is considered standard practice. Our institution does not perform on-site evaluation; this study analyzes our overall diagnostic yield, accuracy, and incidence of nondiagnostic cases to determine the validity of this strategy.

Design: Data encompassing clinical information, procedural records, and cytological assessment were analyzed for gastrointestinal EUS-FNA procedures (n = 85) performed at Vancouver General Hospital from January 2012 to January 2013.

Mismatch repair status may predict response to adjuvant chemotherapy in resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Deficiencies in DNA mismatch repair have been associated with inferior response to 5-FU in colorectal cancer. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is similarly treated with pyrimidine analogs, yet the predictive value of mismatch repair status for response to these agents has not been examined in this malignancy. A tissue microarray with associated clinical outcome, comprising 254 resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients was stained for four mismatch repair proteins (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2).

Personalized oncogenomics: clinical experience with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma using whole genome sequencing.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare and sometimes lethal malignancy that presents a clinical challenge for both diagnosis and management. Recent studies have led to a better understanding of the molecular biology of peritoneal mesothelioma. Translation of the emerging data into better treatments and outcome is needed.

Retrospective review using targeted deep sequencing reveals mutational differences between gastroesophageal junction and gastric carcinomas.

Background: Adenocarcinomas of both the gastroesophageal junction and stomach are molecularly complex, but differ with respect to epidemiology, etiology and survival. There are few data directly comparing the frequencies of single nucleotide mutations in cancer-related genes between the two sites. Sequencing of targeted gene panels may be useful in uncovering multiple genomic aberrations using a single test.

Tumor budding is an independent adverse prognostic factor in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Tumor budding is a well-established adverse prognostic factor in colorectal cancer. However, the significance and diagnostic reproducibility of budding in pancreatic carcinoma requires further study. We aimed to assess the prognostic significance of tumor budding in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, determine its relationship with other clinicopathologic features, and assess interobserver variability in its diagnosis.

HER2/neu testing in gastric cancer by immunohistochemistry: assessment of interlaboratory variation.

Context: Immunohistochemical (IHC) testing for HER2/neu is becoming the standard of care for guiding adjuvant treatment of gastric carcinoma with trastuzumab.

Objective: To assess interlaboratory variation in IHC staining and interpretation across multiple laboratories.

Design: A tissue microarray consisting of 45 cores from 28 gastric cancers was distributed to 37 laboratories for HER2/neu assessment.

Venous invasion in oesophageal adenocarcinoma: enhanced detection using elastic stain and association with adverse histological features and clinical outcomes.

Aims: In oesophageal adenocarcinoma, detection rates of venous invasion using haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and elastic stains have not been compared. The aims of this study were to investigate whether or not elastic stains facilitate the detection of venous invasion, and to determine the prognostic significance of venous invasion following review with elastic stains.

Methods And Results: One hundred and three resection specimens containing oesophageal adenocarcinoma, all reported originally as negative for venous invasion, were examined for the presence of venous invasion using H&E and subsequently Movat pentachrome stains.

Infarct-like necrosis: a distinct form of necrosis seen in colorectal carcinoma liver metastases treated with perioperative chemotherapy.

The response of colorectal adenocarcinoma liver metastases to perioperative chemotherapy can be assessed histologically in partial hepatectomy specimens. Necrosis in this scenario may represent a lack of treatment effect or a therapeutic response to chemotherapy. This study sought to validate the histologic classification of necrosis into 2 types: usual necrosis (UN) representing an absence of treatment effect, and infarct-like necrosis (ILN) representing a therapeutic response to chemotherapy.

A rare case of carcinoma cuniculatum of the penis in a 55-year-old.

Carcinoma cuniculatum of the penis is an extremely rare variant of squamous cell carcinoma characterized by an endophytic deeply branching and burrowing growth pattern. One documented case series demonstrated afflicted patients ranging in age from 73-83 years with the tumour located on the glans penis, coronal sulcus or foreskin. We report a case of a 55-year-old with disease located on the ventral aspect of the shaft of the penis.