Implementation and utilization of the molecular tumor board to guide precision medicine.

Background: With rapid advances in genomic medicine, the complexity of delivering precision medicine to oncology patients across a university health system demanded the creation of a Molecular Tumor Board (MTB) for patient selection and assessment of treatment options. The objective of this report is to analyze our progress to date and discuss the importance of the MTB in the implementation of personalized medicine.

Materials And Methods: Patients were reviewed in the MTB for appropriateness for comprehensive next generation sequencing (NGS) cancer gene set testing based on set criteria that were in place.

Poor cell block adequacy rate for molecular testing improved with the addition of Diff-Quik-stained smears: Need for better cell block processing.

Background: In the era of personalized medicine, requests for molecular testing of specimens obtained with minimally invasive procedures such as fine-needle aspiration have been increasing. Although cell blocks (CBs) are the recommended specimens for molecular testing, their performance has not been well analyzed. The objective of this study was to assess the frequency and types of samples deemed unsatisfactory for molecular testing (quantity not sufficient [QNS]).

Mast cell numbers negatively correlate with fibrosis in cryptorchid testes.

Purpose: Mast cells have been found to play a role in fibrotic processes in multiple organ systems and are increased in number in the testes of infertile men. We have reviewed the literature and to date have found no studies investigating the role of mast cells in fibrosis of undescended testis. We examined the expression of mast cells in human cryptorchid testes and compared mast cell expression with testicular fibrosis in these testes.