Combined Ganglioneuroma-Schwannoma of the Retroperitoneum: An Exceedingly Rare Hybrid Nerve Sheath-Ganglioneural Tumor.

Combined ganglioneuroma-schwannoma is an exceedingly rare tumor that has only been described in isolated case reports. We document a 64-year-old man with an incidentally discovered combined ganglioneuroma-schwannoma of the retroperitoneum that was intimately associated with sympathetic ganglia. We highlight the morphological and immunohistochemical findings of this rare tumor, and show evidence of its origin from sympathetic ganglia.

Impact of CD151 overexpression on prognosis and therapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients lacking EGFR mutations.

This study investigates CD151, a protein linked to cancer progression, in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients without epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. These patients often have limited treatment options. The study used retrospective analysis to examine 157 adenocarcinoma biopsy specimens and 199 patient cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas, correlating CD151 expression with patient survival.

Pitfalls in Lymph Node Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology.

Background: Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is an accurate, minimally invasive, and cost-effective biopsy method for enlarged lymph nodes. While the role of lymph node FNAC in the diagnosis of infectious or reactive conditions and metastatic malignancy is unquestioned, differing views still exist on its role in the diagnosis of lymphoma. Nevertheless, regardless of the practice setting, pitfalls and potential for error exist, and it is incumbent upon the pathologist to be aware of these pitfalls, as this is the first line of defence against errors.

Dynamic altruistic cooperation within breast tumors.

Background: Social behaviors such as altruism, where one self-sacrifices for collective benefits, critically influence an organism's survival and responses to the environment. Such behaviors are widely exemplified in nature but have been underexplored in cancer cells which are conventionally seen as selfish competitive players. This multidisciplinary study explores altruism and its mechanism in breast cancer cells and its contribution to chemoresistance.

Outcomes of a Phase II Study of Intraperitoneal Paclitaxel plus Systemic Capecitabine and Oxaliplatin (XELOX) for Gastric Cancer with Peritoneal Metastases.

Background: Adding intraperitoneal paclitaxel (IP-PTX) to paclitaxel/5-fluoropyrimidine has shown promising results in patients with gastric cancer peritoneal metastases (GCPM) but has not been studied with standard-of-care platinum/fluoropyrimidine combinations. Our goal to was evaluate IP-PTX with capecitabine/oxaliplatin (XELOX) in GCPM.

Methods: Forty-four patients with GCPM received IP PTX (40 mg/m, Days 1, 8), oral capecitabine (1000 mg/m twice daily, Days 1-14) and intravenous oxaliplatin (100 mg/m, Day 1) in 21-day cycles.

Multi-institutional validation of a modified scheme for subcategorizing salivary gland neoplasm of uncertain malignant potential (SUMP).

Background: The salivary gland neoplasm of uncertain malignant potential (SUMP) category in the Milan System is diagnostically challenging. This study aims to validate a modified scheme for subcategorizing SUMP in a large multi-institutional cohort.

Methods: Retrospective review of salivary gland fine-needle aspirations (FNAs) from 10 institutions were classified based on the Milan System.

In vivo demonstration of a novel non-invasive model for inducing localized hypothermia to ameliorate hepatotoxicity.

Moderate hypothermia (32 °C) has been previously shown to ameliorate drug-induced liver injuries in vitro. However, there are concerns regarding its clinical relevance as it remains a challenge to perform selective liver cooling in a non-invasive manner. To reconcile this dilemma, we propose the use of pulsed cooling for regional hypothermic conditioning in liver.

Constitutive Cytomorphologic Features of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma Using Different Staining Methods.

(1) Background: Accurate preoperative identification of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is challenging due to a spectrum of cytomorphologic features. However, there is a scarcity of studies describing the cytomorphologic features as seen on fine-needle aspiration (FNA) smears prepared using different staining methods. (2) Methods: We performed a retrospective study on MTC cases with available FNA slides from 13 hospitals distributed across 8 Asia-Pacific countries.

COVID-19 post-vaccination lymphadenopathy: Report of cytological findings from fine needle aspiration biopsy.

The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has spurred the rapid development of vaccines, with vaccination programmes already underway in many countries. Regional lymphadenopathy is one of the documented side effects of vaccination. We document the fine needle aspiration cytological findings of an enlarged supraclavicular lymph node in a 34-year-old Asian female following the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, which appears to be the first such report in a premorbidly well patient with no known history of malignancy.

Atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance: Asian non-Asian practice, and the Singapore experience.

The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology has paved the way for comparisons of the practice of thyroid cytology in many different regions. However, there have been comparatively few studies documenting differences between Asian and non-Asian practice. Here, we aim to compare a few key parameters between the two regions, focusing on the indeterminate category of atypia of undetermined significance (AUS)/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (FLUS).

Cytologic diagnosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma in the Asia-Pacific region.

Background: The accurate preoperative identification of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is challenging due to the rarity of tumor and variable cytologic appearance. The Asian experience with diagnosing MTC by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) was scarcely reported.

Methods: Cases of MTC with available FNA slides were enrolled from 13 hospitals representing 8 Asia-Pacific countries.

Ectopic Cervical Thyroid Tissue Affected by Fibrosing Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Mimicking Multifocal Metastatic Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma-A Hard Lesson Learnt from an Unusual Case.

We describe a case of ectopic cervical thyroid tissue which was involved by fibrosing Hashimoto's thyroiditis and which mimicked metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma both on fine needle aspiration cytology and biopsy. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy which revealed fibrosing Hashimoto's thyroiditis, but no carcinoma. The entire thyroidectomy specimen was submitted for histopathological assessment.

A common MET polymorphism harnesses HER2 signaling to drive aggressive squamous cell carcinoma.

c-MET receptors are activated in cancers through genomic events like tyrosine kinase domain mutations, juxtamembrane splicing mutation and amplified copy numbers, which can be inhibited by c-MET small molecule inhibitors. Here, we discover that the most common polymorphism known to affect MET gene (N375S), involving the semaphorin domain, confers exquisite binding affinity for HER2 and enables MET to interact with HER2 in a ligand-independent fashion. The resultant MET/HER2 dimer transduces potent proliferative, pro-invasive and pro-metastatic cues through the HER2 signaling axis to drive aggressive squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HNSCC) and lung (LUSC), and is associated with poor prognosis.

The Milan system for reporting salivary gland cytology: A retrospective analysis of 1384 cases in a tertiary Southeast Asian institution.

Background: The Milan System for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytopathology (MSRSGC) aims to provide a common language for risk stratification and management. We examine the incidence of MSRSGC categories and the corresponding risk of malignancy (ROM) within a tertiary referral centre in Southeast Asia.

Methods: Salivary gland fine needle aspirations (FNAs) performed within a 10-year period were classified retrospectively according to the MSRSGC.

SOX11 expression in a case of papillary thyroid carcinoma with fibromatosis/fasciitis-like stroma containing BRAF c.1799_1801delTGA and CTNNB1 c.133T>C mutations.

We describe a case of papillary thyroid carcinoma with fibromatosis/fasciitis-like stroma (PTC-FLS) that contained the rare BRAF c.1799_1801delTGA (p.V600_K601delinsE) mutation, which has not previously been reported in this tumour, as well as the CTNNB1 c.

Nanoparticles promote in vivo breast cancer cell intravasation and extravasation by inducing endothelial leakiness.

While most cancer nanomedicine is designed to eliminate cancer, the nanomaterial per se can lead to the formation of micrometre-sized gaps in the blood vessel endothelial walls. Nanomaterials-induced endothelial leakiness (NanoEL) might favour intravasation of surviving cancer cells into the surrounding vasculature and subsequently extravasation, accelerating metastasis. Here, we show that nanoparticles induce endothelial leakiness through disruption of the VE-cadherin-VE-cadherin homophilic interactions at the adherens junction.

Predictors of thyroxine replacement following hemithyroidectomy in a south east Asian cohort.

Background: Thyroxine replacement following a hemithyroidectomy is not commonly discussed during consent for the procedure as the risk of hypothyroidism is perceived to be low.

Methods: Retrospective review of 901 patients who underwent hemithyroidectomy at a tertiary referral institution during the period January 2000 to December 2015. The main outcome studied was the overall incidence of hypothyroidism and the associated risk factors.

BRAF mutation in papillary thyroid cancer-Prevalence and clinical correlation in a South-East Asian cohort.

Objective: BRAF mutation is the commonest mutation seen in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), but its prevalence and clinical significance vary across countries. We aim to evaluate the prevalence and clinico-pathological correlation of BRAF mutation in PTC patients at our centre.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study of 75 consecutive archival thyroid specimens, whereby BRAF mutation was detected using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique and correlated with clinical and pathological features and outcomes.

Subclassification of Bethesda Atypical and Follicular Neoplasm Categories According to Nuclear and Architectural Atypia Improves Discrimination of Thyroid Malignancy Risk.

Background: Although The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology has provided clinicians with a standardized classification scheme for the diagnosis of thyroid fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) specimens, the indeterminate categories of Bethesda III (B3)-atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS)-and Bethesda IV (B4)-follicular neoplasm/suspicious for follicular neoplasm (FN/SFN)-continue to pose challenges with regards to ideal diagnostic and therapeutic management. Having previously demonstrated the presence of nuclear atypia as a high-risk subgroup in B3, the objective of this study was to evaluate the malignancy rates in the B4 subgroup with nuclear atypia.

Methods: A retrospective review of all thyroid FNACs diagnosed as B4 (FN/SFN) between 2008 and 2015 was conducted at a tertiary referral center in Singapore.

Extent of field change in colorectal cancers with BRAF mutation.

Introduction: Sporadic colorectal cancers with BRAF mutations constitute two distinct subgroups of colorectal cancers. Recent studies have linked the presence of the BRAF mutation to a familial inheritance pattern. This was a proof-of-concept study that aimed to examine: (a) the extent of field change in sporadic colorectal cancers with BRAF mutation; and (b) the extent of resection margins required and the pattern of DNA mismatch repair protein loss in these tumours.