Nationwide Real-World Data of Microsatellite Instability and/or Mismatch Repair Deficiency in Cancer: Prevalence and Testing Patterns.

Determination of microsatellite instability (MSI)/mismatch repair (MMR) status in cancer has several clinical implications. Our aim was to integrate MSI/MMR status from patients tested in Greece to assess the prevalence of MSI-high (MSI-H)/deficient MMR (dMMR) per tumor type, testing patterns over time and concordance between MSI and MMR status. We retrospectively recorded MSI/MMR testing data of patients with diverse tumor types performed in pathology and molecular diagnostics laboratories across Greece.

Significance of and Expression in Head and Neck Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma.

Background/aim: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is an aggressive neoplasm even though it has low-grade histological appearance and slow growth. The aim of this study was to identify the immunohistochemical and molecular characteristics of ACC, as well as their correlation with the clinical course of patients.

Patients And Methods: This is a retrospective multicenter analysis.

Prognostic Impact of Src, CDKN1B, and JAK2 Expression in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Trastuzumab.

Background: Src, CDKN1B, and JAK2 play a crucial role in the coordination of cell signaling pathways. In the present study, we aim to investigate the prognostic significance of these biomarkers in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients treated with trastuzumab (T).

Methods: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue samples from 197 patients with HER2-positive MBC treated with T were retrospectively collected.

Comparison of the Ability of Different Clinical Treatment Scores to Estimate Prognosis in High-Risk Early Breast Cancer Patients: A Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group Study.

Background-aim: Early breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease, and, therefore, prognostic tools have been developed to evaluate the risk for distant recurrence. In the present study, we sought to develop a risk for recurrence score (RRS) based on mRNA expression of three proliferation markers in high-risk early breast cancer patients and evaluate its ability to predict risk for relapse and death. In addition the Adjuvant! Online score (AOS) was also determined for each patient, providing a 10-year estimate of relapse and mortality risk.

Epigenetic mechanisms in endometrial cancer.

Purpose: Endometrial cancer is a very common type of cancer in females worldwide. Advances in diagnosis and treatment have not decreased the incidence of endometrial cancer. Lately, research has been focused on revealing the molecular and genetic characteristics of endometrial cancer in order to provide new insights in the biology of this entity, leading hopefully to innovating therapies.

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST): A Prospective Analysis and an Update on Biomarkers and Current Treatment Concepts.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common sarcomas of the gastrointestinal tract, with transformation typically driven by activating mutations of cKIT and less commonly platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA). Successful targeting of tyrosine-protein kinase Kit with imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has had a major impact in the survival of patients with GIST in both the adjuvant and metastatic setting. A recent modification of treatment guidelines for patients with localized, high-risk GIST extended the adjuvant treatment duration from 1 year to 3 years.

Her2 negative luminal breast carcinoma and Ki-67 evaluation.

Aim: To determine the degree of inter-observer variability in defining the percentage of Ki-67 immunohistochemical expression in breast carcinoma cases and to investigate the validity of using the cut-point of 14% for the administration of adjuvant treatment in luminal B (Her2 negative) carcinomas.

Materials And Methods: 99 ER, PR positive, Her2 negative breast carcinomas were consecutively selected from the Pathology files of "IASO" Women's Hospital. Ki-67 immunostaining was evaluated by four pathologists from four different institutions.

The sentinel node in cervical cancer patients: role of tumor size and invasion of lymphatic vascular space.

Background: The sentinel lymph node (SLN) technique aims at predicting the absence of regional nodal metastasis and seems promising in the management of cervical cancer patients.

Patients And Methods: Forty patients undergoing surgery for early cervical cancer were submitted to the SLN procedure, using Blue Patente alone in 3, radiocolloid injection alone in 4 and both methods in 33 (82.5%).

Human papillomavirus frequency in oral and oropharyngeal cancer in Greece.

Unlabelled: The presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) was successfully analyzed by both general and type-specific HPV PCR in 103 samples from 115 patients diagnosed with oral and oropharyngeal cancer in Greece during the years 1986-2007.

Results: In total 13/103 (13%) tumours were HPV-positive and the majority of these were HPV-16-positive. Of the tonsillar cancer samples, 12/28 (43%) were HPV-positive and, notably, 1/6 (17%) collected between 1992-1998 and 11/22 (50%) collected between 2000-2007 were HPV-positive.

Evaluation of the prognostic and predictive value of HER-1/EGFR in breast cancer patients participating in a randomized study with dose-dense sequential adjuvant chemotherapy.

Background: To assess the prognostic and predictive significance of HER-1/EGFR protein levels in high-risk patients with breast cancer treated with dose-dense sequential adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: 595 high-risk breast cancer patients were treated with adjuvant anthracycline-based dose-dense sequential chemotherapy (E-CMF vs. E-T-CMF).

Primary osteogenic sarcoma of the breast: cytomorphologic study of 3 cases with histologic correlation.

Background: Primary osteogenic sarcomas of the breast are extremely rare neoplasms. The histologic and cytologic features are comparable to those of their soft tissue and skeletal counterparts. To assess the utility of fine needle aspiration (FNA) in preoperative identification of osteogenic sarcomas, we retrospectively reviewed the FNA findings of 3 cases diagnosed in our hospital over 2 1/2 years.

Evaluation of the prognostic value of HER-2 and VEGF in breast cancer patients participating in a randomized study with dose-dense sequential adjuvant chemotherapy.

Purpose: To assess the prognostic and predictive significance of HER-2 overexpression and high expression of VEGF in high-risk patients with breast cancer treated with dose-dense sequential chemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: From June 1997 until November 2000, 595 patients were randomized to three cycles of epirubicin (E) 110 mg/m2 followed by three cycles of paclitaxel (T) 250 mg/m2 followed by three cycles of "intensified" CMF (cyclophosphamide 840 mg/m2, methotrexate 47 mg/m2 and fluorouracil 840 mg/m2) or to four cycles of E, followed by four cycles of CMF. HER-2 was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 394 patients, and by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in cases scored as 2+ by IHC.