Gene expression differences between colon and rectum tumors.

Purpose: Colorectal cancer studies typically include both colon and rectum tumors as a common entity, though this assumption is controversial and only minor differences have been reported at the molecular and epidemiologic level. We conducted a molecular study based on gene expression data of tumors from colon and rectum to assess the degree of similarity between these cancer sites at transcriptomic level.

Experimental Design: A pooled analysis of 460 colon tumors and 100 rectum tumors from four data sets belonging to three independent studies was conducted.

Collecting system involvement by renal tumor: are CT measurements reliable enough?

Objectives: Smaller kidney lesions which are more often detected recently by accidental imaging are amenable for nephron sparing approach whether at open surgery, laparoscopy or ablative techniques. The pretreatment planning is based on multiplanner CT expected to well define the relationship of the lesion to the major renal blood vessels and collecting system (CS). This study is aimed to compare the pre-surgical CT measurements of the distance from tumor to CS to the actual distances observed on radical nephrectomy specimens.

Pathologic predictors of microsatellite instability in colorectal cancer.

Identification of microsatellite unstable (MSI-H) colorectal cancers (CRCs) is important not only for the identification of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer syndrome but also because MSI-H CRCs have a better prognosis and may respond differently to 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. We present 2 nearly equivalent logistic regression models for clinical use that predict microsatellite instability based on the review of 1649 CRCs from patients of all ages collected in a population-based case control study in northern Israel. One hundred ninety-eight of these 1649 tumors demonstrated a high degree of microsatellite instability (12%).

Multidrug resistance-related phenotype and apoptosis-related protein expression in ovarian serous carcinomas.

Objective: Multidrug resistance (MDR) to chemotherapy is a major obstacle in attempts to improve the clinical outcome of ovarian carcinoma patients. The MDR-related phenotype is associated with over-expression of certain drug transporters, such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1), and lung resistance protein (LRP). The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent and prognostic significance of MDR-related protein expression in ovarian serous carcinomas.

Peripheral lymphadenopathy as the initial manifestation of pericardial mesothelioma: a case report.

Lymphadenopathy is an unusual initial presentation of malignant mesothelioma. We describe a case of extrathoracic lymphadenopathy as the only initial manifestation of primary pericardial malignant mesothelioma. The diagnosis of metastatic malignant mesothelioma was made by excisional biopsy of the supraclavicular lymph node and later confirmed by cytologic examination of pericardial fluid.

Validation of the novel indices of nuclear pleomorphism, polarity and spatial distribution in the grading of urothelial carcinoma.

Objective: To evaluate the role of the novel histomorphometric variables of pleomorphism, orientation and variability of spatial cytologic organization to objectively quantify histopathologic grade in urothelial carcinoma.

Study Design: As a validation model, we chose 51 papillary urothelial carcinomas. Thirty-six (70%) were low and 15 (29%) high grade tumors (World Health Organization grading system).

Morphometrical quantification of spermatogonial germ cells with the 57B anti-MAGE-A4 antibody in the evaluation of testicular biopsies for azoospermia.

The melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE) gene family of cancer-testis antigens is expressed in certain malignant neoplasms and the testis, but not in other healthy tissues. The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of immunohistochemical staining with the 57B anti-MAGE-A4 mouse monoclonal antibody (MAb) in testicular biopsy specimens from patients with nonobstructive azoospermia and obstructive azoospermia (OA). Fifty-four cases of Sertoli cell only (SCO), 30 cases of spermatocytic arrest, 15 cases of hypospermatogenesis, and 10 testicular biopsy specimens with OA (normal spermatogenesis) were evaluated.

Activated status of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes and apoptosis in testicular seminoma.

Testicular seminoma is characterized by a prominent lymphoid infiltrate and an excellent prognosis. Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) infiltrating seminoma tumour nests constitute a major subset of the lymphoid infiltrate. The objective of this study was to determine whether CTLs express markers of cytotoxic potential and activity and whether the number of activated CTLs correlates with the extent of apoptosis in testicular seminomas, as opposed to non-seminomatous testicular germ cell tumours (NSTGCTs).