Be bold, start cold! cold formalin fixation of colorectal cancer specimens granted superior DNA and RNA quality for downstream molecular analysis.

The use of cold formalin fixation (CFF; i.e., fixating tissue samples with 4 °C precooled formalin) recently attracted further attention owing to its putative improved ability to preserve nucleic acid compared with standard room temperature formalin (SFF).

Extra-prostatic extension grading system: correlation with MRI features and integration of capsular enhancement sign for "enhanced" detection of T3a lesions.

Purpose: This study aims to confirm the diagnostic accuracy of extra-prostatic extension (EPE) grading system and to explore the predictive capabilities of the prostate MRI while considering various MRI features such as lesion location, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values and capsular enhancement sign (CES).

Methods: Our monocentric study is based on a retrospective analysis of 99 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy from January 2021 to January 2023. The observers reviewed for each lesion, including location (transitional or peripheral zone, anterior or posterior location), capsular contact length, irregular bulging of the capsule, asymmetry of the neurovascular bundle, obliteration of the recto-prostatic angle, macroscopic EPE, ADC value, and CES.

The synergism of SMC1A cohesin gene silencing and bevacizumab against colorectal cancer.

Background: SMC1A is a subunit of the cohesin complex that participates in many DNA- and chromosome-related biological processes. Previous studies have established that SMC1A is involved in cancer development and in particular, is overexpressed in chromosomally unstable human colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to investigate whether SMC1A could serve as a therapeutic target for CRC.

BRAF immunohistochemistry can reliably substitute BRAF molecular testing in the Lynch syndrome screening algorithm in colorectal cancer.

Aims: The Lynch syndrome (LS) screening algorithm requires BRAF testing as a fundamental step to distinguish sporadic from LS-associated colorectal carcinomas (CRC). BRAF testing by immunohistochemistry (IHC) has shown variable results in the literature. Our aim was to analyse concordance between BRAF IHC and BRAF molecular analysis in a large, mono-institutional CRC whole-slide, case series with laboratory validation.

Impact of formalin fixation on mismatch repair protein evaluation by immunohistochemistry.

Mismatch repair/microsatellite instability (MMR/MSI) status in colorectal cancer (CRC) has become fundamental as a diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive factor. MMR immunohistochemistry (IHC) is considered a simple and reliable approach; however, its effectiveness depends on pre-analytic factors. Aim of this study was to investigate the impact of different fixation times/protocols on MMR protein IHC quality.