The effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in patients with breast cancer.

This study investigated the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) on stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) and their treatment response. 115 patients with pre-NAC core biopsies and post-NAC surgical resection specimens were reviewed. There was no significant change between pre- and post-treatment sTILs.

Immunohistochemical HER2 Status Evaluation in Breast Cancer Pathology Samples: A Multicenter, Parallel-Design Concordance Study.

Objective: As patients with increased human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2) overexpression are more likely to benefit from trastuzumab treatment, the accuracy of HER2 receptor status in breast cancer patients is significant for appropriate disease management. However, this assessment is not harmonized and results may be highly variable between centers. The aim of this study was to investigate the degree of interlaboratory variability in the results of HER2 expression reported by 5 participating centers and to assess the concordance between these centers and a reference laboratory.

Loss of ARID1A expression is associated with poor prognosis in invasive micropapillary carcinomas of the breast: A clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study with long-term survival analysis.

Invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) of the breast is a highly aggressive and a rare subtype of breast cancer. In this study, we aimed to investigate differences between pure and mixed IMPCs of the breast in terms of clinicopathologic features, and also to analyze the significance of expressions of ARID1A and bcl-2 regarding prognosis. Sixty-nine of IMPCs consisting of 21 pure and 48 mixed type diagnosed at Pathology Department of Istanbul Medical Faculty between 2000 and 2011, who had complete follow-up data, were collected to analyze ARID1A and bcl-2 expressions immunohistochemically with prognosis.

High expression of SALL4 and fascin, and loss of E-cadherin expression in undifferentiated/dedifferentiated carcinomas of the endometrium: An immunohistochemical and clinicopathologic study.

Undifferentiated/dedifferentiated endometrial carcinomas (UCE/DCEs) of the endometrium are rare tumors with poor prognosis. There are few clinicopathologic studies with detailed immunohistochemical analysis regarding UCE/DCEs.We evaluated the diagnostic value of a selected tumor stem-cell marker and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, in addition to previously studied markers in identifying UCE/DCEs from other types of high-grade endometrial carcinomas.

Receptor discordance rate and its effects on survival in primary and recurrent breast cancer patients.

Purpose: The receptor status of breast cancer plays a critical role in clinical practice. During the metastatic process, a change in the biological characteristics of the tumor can be seen. This study aimed to investigate the hormone receptor and HER2 status changes between primary and recurrent breast cancers and their effect on survival.

Clinical and histopathological factors associated with Ki-67 expression in breast cancer patients.

The aim of the present study was to identify the optimal Ki-67 cut-off value in breast cancer (BC) patients, and investigate the association of Ki-67 expression levels with other prognostic factors. Firstly, a retrospective search was performed to identify patients with stage I-III BC (n=462). A range of Ki-67 index values were then assigned to five groups (<10, 10-14, 15-19, 20-24 and ≥25%).

In situ hybridization analysis of invasive breast carcinomas with immunohistochemically negative Her-2 status (a national multicenter study).

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the rate of Her-2 gene amplification in breast cancer cases with a previous negative Her-2 result as determined by immunohistochemistry (score 0 or 1).

Material And Method: 552 cases of invasive breast carcinoma were assessed with the contribution of 9 centers. Previous immunohistochemistry score was either 0 or 1+ in all cases.

The importance of endometrial nerve fibers and macrophage cell count in the diagnosis of endometriosis.

Background: Endometriosis is a disease that is hard to diagnose without the gold standard method, laparoscopy. An easier diagnostic method is needed.

Objective: The aim of the study is to determine whether the number of macrophage cells in the endometrium and/or the detection of nerve fibers can be used in the diagnosis of endometriosis.

Successful treatment of triple primary tumor.

Introduction: The occurrence of multiple primary tumors is rare. Only limited number of cases with triple malignancy have been reported. We report here a rare case of a woman presented synchronous triple tumors, in her lung, breast, skin.

Complete response in a patient with granulosa cell tumor treated with a combination of leuprolide and tamoxifen.

Background: Adult granulosa cell tumors (GCTs) are frequently hormonally active. Thus, hormonal agents have been evaluated for the treatment of advanced-stage or recurrent disease.

Case Report: A 39-year-old patient presented with recurrent GCT.

Predictive role of midtreatment changes in survivin, GSTP1, and topoisomerase 2α expressions for pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced breast cancer.

Introduction: The primary aim of this study is to investigate the effect of change in the expression levels of survivin, glutathione-S-transferase P1 (GSTP1), and topoisomerase 2α (TOP2A) on the response to antracyclin-based and taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: This study included 32 locally advanced breast cancer patients. Tumoral expressions of survivin, TOP2A, and GSTP1 in serial biopsy specimens obtained before treatment, after sequential 4 cycles of doxorubicin+cyclophosphomide, and 4 cycles of docetaxel were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Positive or close margins in breast conserving surgery: is re-excision always necessary?

Background: More than half of re-excision specimens after breast conserving surgery (BCS) are found to be free of residual tumor at definitive histology. The aim of this study was to identify clinicopathological factors along with intrinsic subtypes of the tumor (luminal A, luminal B, HER2-overexpressing, triple-negative) associated with residual tumor in re-excision or mastectomy specimen.

Methods: Two hundred forty-eight patients with initial BCS, who underwent one or more re-excisions or mastectomy because of close or positive margins were reviewed.

[Pathology laboratories staff workload evaluation in Turkey: a survey study].

Objective: The workload affects the quality of the pathology report. The aim of this study was to investigate the territorial distribution and productivity of pathology laboratories around Turkey and to estimate the staff workload.

Material And Method: A survey questioning the workload was sent to all Ministry of Health and university hospitals.

Axillary sentinel node biopsy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Introduction: The role of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) with potentially sterilized axillary lymph nodes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) remains unclear.

Patients And Methods: Between 2002 and 2008, SLNB with both blue-dye and radioisotope injection was performed in 77 patients with LABC whose cytopathologically confirmed positive axillary node(s) became clinically negative after NAC. Factors associated with SLN identification and false-negative rates, presence of non-sentinel lymph node (non-SLN) metastasis were analyzed retrospectively.

Malignant ovarian germ cell tumors: a single-institution experience.

Objective: To evaluate the clinicopathologic prognostic factors in malignant ovarian germ cell tumors.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 70 patients treated from 1990 to 2006 at our center. Clinical data including demographics, stage, surgery, chemotherapy, survival, menses status, and fertility were collected from patients' charts.

A European network for virtual microscopy--design, implementation and evaluation of performance.

Web-based virtual microscopy has enabled new applications within pathology. Here, we introduce and evaluate a network of academic servers, designed to maximize image accessibility to users from all regions of Europe. Whole-slide imaging was utilized to digitize the entire slide set (n = 154) for the slide seminars of the 21st European Congress of Pathology.

Increased lymph node positivity in multifocal and multicentric breast cancer.

Background: Multifocal and multicentric (MF/MC) breast cancers have been reported to be associated with increased lymph node metastases. The limited data on this issue prompted us to investigate the pathologic and clinical differences between unifocal and MF/MC breast cancer.

Study Design: Between 1990 and 2002, 1,322 patients with operable invasive breast cancer underwent a definitive operation at our Breast Clinic.

Factors affecting the prognosis of breast cancer patients with brain metastases.

The aim of this retrospective analysis was to investigate the factors affecting the prognosis of brain metastases in breast cancer patients to identify subgroups which might benefit from prophylactic treatments in future. Seventy-three early and 13 advanced stage patients with known Erb-2 status were included. In 14% of the early stage patients, the first recurrence site was isolated brain metastasis.

Comparison of different injection sites of radionuclide for sentinel lymph node detection in breast cancer: single institution experience.

Background: There are still ongoing controversies about several aspects of lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer, including injection site of radioisotope and blue dye. This study aims to evaluate the success rate of different radiocolloid injection techniques in the detection of sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) in early breast cancer.

Study Design: One hundred ninety-two women with early breast cancer were included.

An atypical presentation of metastatic gestational choriocarcinoma with maxillary sinus and subcutaneous involvement; report of a case with literature review.

Extragonadal germ cell tumors are rare neoplasms with histologic features comparable to those of gonadal origin. In this case report we present a 21-year-old female patient with an atypical localization of metastatic gestational choriocarcinoma. She was admitted to our hospital with recurrent epistaxis, abnormal vaginal bleeding, rectal bleeding, subcutaneous nodules on both thighs and forearms and left maxillary mass with intranasal cavity invasion.

HER-2, TOP2A and chromosome 17 alterations in breast cancer.

HER-2 amplification is a biomarker for identifying patients who respond to trastuzumab and has been evaluated as a factor predicting the response to anthracyclines. The relationship between HER-2 and response to anthracycline therapy may also be the result of the close localization of TOP2A on 17q. It has been a matter of debate whether these two genes, HER-2 and TOP2A, behave separately on different amplicons or act together thus making it possible to predict the TOP2A status from the HER-2 status.

Siegfried Oberndorfer: a tribute to his work and life between Munich, Kiel, Geneva, and Istanbul.

In 1907 Siegfried Oberndorfer published his observations and interpretations on tumorlets ("Geschwulstchen") in the small intestine, which he called carcinoids ("karzinoide Tumoren"). This article pursues the questions why this discovery was so unique and what role it played in the later life of Siegfried Oberndorfer.

The value of combined peritumoral and subdermal injection techniques for lymphoscintigraphy in detection of sentinel lymph node in breast cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the success rate of combined peritumoral and subdermal injection techniques based on our previous experience on different injection techniques for lymphoscintigraphy.

Patients And Methods: Fifty-nine women with early breast cancer (mean tumor size, 20.5 mm) were prospectively studied.