NKX3.1 Expression and Molecular Characterization of Secretory Myoepithelial Carcinoma (SMCA): Advancing the Case for a Salivary Mucous Acinar Phenotype.

Background: Secretory myoepithelial carcinomas (SMCA) are rare, mucinous, signet ring predominant tumors with primitive myoepithelial features. While many mucinous salivary gland tumors have now been molecularly characterized, key drivers in SMCA have yet to be elucidated. Recently, NKX3.

Neoadjuvant nivolumab for patients with resectable HPV-positive and HPV-negative squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck in the CheckMate 358 trial.

Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) are common malignancies caused by carcinogens, including tobacco and alcohol, or infection with human papillomavirus (HPV). Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) pathway are effective against unresectable recurrent/metastatic HNSCC. Here, we explored the safety and efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy in at-risk resectable HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC in the neoadjuvant setting.

Histologic Classification and Molecular Signature of Polymorphous Adenocarcinoma (PAC) and Cribriform Adenocarcinoma of Salivary Gland (CASG): An International Interobserver Study.

Polymorphous adenocarcinoma (PAC) shows histologic diversity with streaming and targetoid features whereas cribriform adenocarcinoma of salivary gland (CASG) demonstrates predominantly cribriform and solid patterns with glomeruloid structures and optically clear nuclei. Opinions diverge on whether CASG represents a separate entity or a variant of PAC. We aimed to assess the level of agreement among 25 expert Head and Neck pathologists in classifying these tumors.

Impact of the Multi-Gene ThyroSeq Next-Generation Sequencing Assay on Cancer Diagnosis in Thyroid Nodules with Atypia of Undetermined Significance/Follicular Lesion of Undetermined Significance Cytology.

Background: Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology is a common approach to evaluate thyroid nodules. It offers definitive diagnosis of a benign or malignant nodule in the majority of cases. However, 10-25% of nodules yield one of three indeterminate cytologic diagnoses, leading to suboptimal management of these patients.

Highly accurate diagnosis of cancer in thyroid nodules with follicular neoplasm/suspicious for a follicular neoplasm cytology by ThyroSeq v2 next-generation sequencing assay.

Background: Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology is a common approach to evaluating thyroid nodules, although 20% to 30% of FNAs have indeterminate cytology, which hampers the appropriate management of these patients. Follicular (or oncocytic) neoplasm/suspicious for a follicular (or oncocytic) neoplasm (FN/SFN) is a common indeterminate diagnosis with a cancer risk of approximately 15% to 30%. In this study, the authors tested whether the most complete next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel of genetic markers could significantly improve cancer diagnosis in these nodules.

Occult Primary Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Utility of Discovering Primary Lesions.

Objective: Cancer of an unknown primary (CUP) squamous cell carcinoma metastatic to cervical lymph nodes is a challenging problem for the treating physician. Our aim is to determine if identification of the primary tumor is associated with improved oncologic outcomes and/or tumor characteristics including human papilloma virus (HPV) status.

Study Design: Retrospective, matched-pairs analysis contrasting 2 cohorts based upon discovery of primary lesion.

Lynch syndrome-associated colorectal carcinoma: frequent involvement of the left colon and rectum and late-onset presentation supports a universal screening approach.

The optimal strategy for screening patients with colorectal carcinoma for Lynch syndrome (LS) is a subject of continued debate in the literature with some advocating universal screening while others arguing for selective screening. We evaluated 1292 colorectal carcinomas for DNA mismatch repair protein abnormalities and identified 150 (11.6%) tumors demonstrating high-levels of microsatellite instability (MSI-H).

KRAS mutational analysis and immunohistochemical studies can help distinguish pancreatic metastases from primary lung adenocarcinomas.

Lung metastases from primary pancreatic adenocarcinomas often have mucinous features, which makes them difficult to distinguish from the primary lung adenocarcinoma. We explored the potential utility of KRAS mutational status and immunohistochemical studies in the evaluation of adenocarcinomas in the lungs of patients with known pancreatic cancer. Metastatic pancreatic cancer cases had fewer solitary lung lesions (5 (15%) versus 37 (95%) for lung primaries; P=0.

Thyroid paragangliomas are locally aggressive.

Background: Thyroid paraganglioma (TP) is a very rare neoplasm that can be misdiagnosed. We evaluated the clinical and pathologic characteristics of three patients with TP.

Patient Findings: The records of all patients from 1981 to 2008 who had thyroidectomy with a final histologic diagnosis of TP were retrieved, and histology was reviewed by a single pathologist.

MicroRNA expression profiles in thyroid tumors.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) constitute a recently identified class of small endogenous noncoding RNAs that act as negative regulators of the protein-coding gene expression and may impact cell differentiation, proliferation and survival, i.e., all fundamental cellular processes implicated in carcinogenesis.