Variation of mutant allele frequency in NRAS Q61 mutated melanomas.

Background: Somatic mutations of BRAF or NRAS activating the MAP kinase cell signaling pathway are present in 70% of cutaneous melanomas. The mutant allele frequency of BRAF V600E (M%BRAF) was recently shown to be highly heterogeneous in melanomas. The present study focuses on the NRAS Q61 mutant allele frequency (M%NRAS).

Improvement of the quality of BRAF testing in melanomas with nationwide external quality assessment, for the BRAF EQA group.

Background: Knowledge about tumour gene mutation status is essential for the treatment of increasing numbers of cancer patients, and testing quality has a major impact on treatment response and cost. In 2012, 4,629 tests for BRAF p.V600 were performed in France, in patients with melanomas.

Detection of BRAF p.V600E Mutations in Melanoma by Immunohistochemistry Has a Good Interobserver Reproducibility.

Context: Assessment of BRAF p.V600E mutational status has become necessary for treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma. Detection of p.

Linear quantification of lymphoid infiltration of the tumor margin: a reproducible method, developed with colorectal cancer tissues, for assessing a highly variable prognostic factor.

Background: Lymphoid infiltration is a prognostic marker in solid tumors, such as colorectal, breast and lung carcinomas. However, lymphoid infiltration is heterogeneous and the reproducibility of quantification based on single counts within a tumor is very low. We aimed to develop a reproducible method for evaluating lymphoid infiltration in tumors.

Frequencies of KIT and PDGFRA mutations in the MolecGIST prospective population-based study differ from those of advanced GISTs.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common human sarcoma. Most of the data available on GISTs derive from retrospective studies of patients referred to oncology centers. The MolecGIST study sought to determine and correlate clinicopathological and molecular characteristics of GISTs.

Is histological diagnosis of primary liver carcinomas with fibrous stroma reproducible among experts?

Aims: In the era of targeted therapeutics, histological typing of hepatobiliary carcinomas has major clinical implications. Little is known about the reproducibility of the pathological diagnosis of primary liver carcinomas. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the worldwide variation in the pathological expert diagnoses of primary liver carcinomas with fibrous stroma in patients who did not have cirrhosis.