Are there specific cytologic features that can predict BRAFV600E mutational status of papillary thyroid carcinoma in fine-needle aspiration specimens?

BACKGROUND: BRAFV600E mutation is the most common molecular alteration found in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and has been linked to recurrent disease or possibly more aggressive behavior. Some studies have reported sickle-shaped nuclei (SSN) and plump pink cells (PPC) to be predictive markers of BRAF mutation in FNA cytology. We aimed to evaluate the reproducibility of the aforementioned cytologic features. METHODS: A computerized search for diagnosed PTC surgical pathology cases tested for BRAFV600E mutation by Sanger DNA sequencing was performed. Blinded to BRAF results, the corresponding cytology was reviewed for presence of SSN and PPC. Classic nuclear PTC (CNPTC) features, cystic change, and psammoma bodies were also evaluated. The results were correlated with BRAFV600E mutational status and histologic subtypes. RESULTS: Study cohort consisted of 113 cases (74 BRAFV600E mutated, 39 BRAFV600E wild type). SSN and combined CNPTC /SSN had positive predictive value of 74% and 75%, respectively. CNPTC showed 92% sensitivity and 20% specificity. Psammoma bodies had 92% specificity and 5% sensitivity. The presence of combined PPC/SSN showed 80% specificity, 27% sensitivity, and diagnostic accuracy of 45%. CNPTC was seen in 60/61 (98%) SSN and 45/45 (100%) PPC. There was no significant statistical association between SSN, PPC, and CNPTC with specific histologic subtypes and BRAF mutational status. CONCLUSION: CNPTC is sensitive but not specific for BRAF mutational status. SSN, PPC, and CNPTC are not predictive markers for the presence of BRAF mutation or histologic subtypes. Additional studies may be needed to further corroborate these findings.

Prostate Cancer Progression Relies on the Mitotic Kinase Citron Kinase.

Prostate cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death in men in Western cultures. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms by which prostate cancer cells divide to support tumor growth could help devise strategies to overcome treatment resistance and improve survival. Here, we identified that the mitotic AGC family protein kinase citron kinase (CIT) is a pivotal regulator of prostate cancer growth that mediates prostate cancer cell interphase progression. Increased CIT expression correlated with prostate cancer growth induction and aggressive prostate cancer progression, and CIT was overexpressed in prostate cancer compared with benign prostate tissue. CIT overexpression was controlled by an E2F2-Skp2-p27 signaling axis and conferred resistance to androgen-targeted treatment strategies. The effects of CIT relied entirely on its kinase activity. Conversely, CIT silencing inhibited the growth of cell lines and xenografts representing different stages of prostate cancer progression and treatment resistance but did not affect benign epithelial prostate cells or nonprostatic normal cells, indicating a potential therapeutic window for CIT inhibition. CIT kinase activity was identified as druggable and was potently inhibited by the multikinase inhibitor OTS-167, which decreased the proliferation of treatment-resistant prostate cancer cells and patient-derived organoids. Isolation of the in vivo CIT substrates identified proteins involved in diverse cellular functions ranging from proliferation to alternative splicing events that are enriched in treatment-resistant prostate cancer. These findings provide insights into the regulation of aggressive prostate cancer cell behavior by CIT and identify CIT as a functionally diverse and druggable driver of prostate cancer progression. SIGNIFICANCE: The poorly characterized protein kinase citron kinase is a therapeutic target in prostate cancer that drives tumor growth by regulating diverse substrates, which control several hallmarks of aggressive prostate cancer progression. See related commentary by Mishra et al., p. 4008.

Single-cell and spatial mapping Identify cell types and signaling Networks in the human ureter.

Tissue engineering offers a promising treatment strategy for ureteral strictures, but its success requires an in-depth understanding of the architecture, cellular heterogeneity, and signaling pathways underlying tissue regeneration. Here, we define and spatially map cell populations within the human ureter using single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial gene expression, and immunofluorescence approaches. We focus on the stromal and urothelial cell populations to enumerate the distinct cell types composing the human ureter and infer potential cell-cell communication networks underpinning the bi-directional crosstalk between these compartments. Furthermore, we analyze and experimentally validate the importance of the sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway in adult progenitor cell maintenance. The SHH-expressing basal cells support organoid generation in vitro and accurately predict the differentiation trajectory from basal progenitor cells to terminally differentiated umbrella cells. Our results highlight the essential processes involved in adult ureter tissue homeostasis and provide a blueprint for guiding ureter tissue engineering.

Urine cytology findings in patients with biopsy-confirmed urothelial carcinoma in situ with plasmacytoid features.

BACKGROUND: Urine cytology is an important screening tool in the diagnosis of high-grade urothelial carcinoma. Diagnosis in urine samples follows criteria outlined by The Paris System for Reporting Urinary Cytology (TPS). However, cytologic characteristics of the recently described urothelial carcinoma in situ with plasmacytoid features (P-CIS) have not been described, and it is unknown whether they conform to TPS criteria for high-grade urothelial carcinoma. This study was aimed at better characterizing possibly unique cytologic features of P-CIS. METHODS: The authors collected urine cytology specimens from patients with subsequent bladder biopsy-proven P-CIS. Specimens were re-reviewed according to the TPS criteria. The proposed cytologic features of P-CIS (eccentric, enlarged, and hyperchromatic nuclei) were evaluated; this included the reproducibility of 3 cytopathologists for the proposed cytologic features. RESULTS: Seventy-four urine specimens from 18 patients with P-CIS-diagnosed bladder biopsies were identified. The TPS diagnoses of the 74 urine cytology specimens were as follows: negative for high-grade urothelial carcinoma (n = 26), atypical urothelial cells (n = 26), suspicious for high-grade urothelial carcinoma (n = 12), and high-grade urothelial carcinoma (n = 10). Only 7 urine specimens met the proposed cytologic criteria for P-CIS, and they had TPS diagnoses of negative for high-grade urothelial carcinoma (n = 1), atypical urothelial cells (n = 3), and high-grade urothelial carcinoma (n = 3). The κ interobserver agreement ranged from poor to fair. CONCLUSION: The features of P-CIS on urine cytology are subtle and infrequently reproducible and often do not meet the TPS criteria for diagnosis as high-grade urothelial carcinoma. In specimens that do not meet TPS criteria for high-grade urothelial carcinoma, P-CIS cytology in isolation would be best classified as atypical urothelial cells.

Carcinoma In Situ With Plasmacytoid Features: A Clinicopathologic Study of 23 Cases.

Although there are 5 well-described morphologic patterns of (nonglandular) urothelial carcinoma in situ (CIS), we have encountered a novel pattern of flat urothelial carcinoma with plasmacytoid features characterized by a triad of morphologic findings including abnormal architecture with cellular rounding, enlarged nuclei with eccentric nuclear localization, and dense globular eosinophilic cytoplasm. A total of 23 cases of plasmacytoid CIS (mean age: 74.1 y, range: 58 to 91 y) were collected and reviewed. We excluded cases in which the diagnostic biopsy had any of the following findings admixed in the same tissue biopsy sample as the plasmacytoid CIS: traditional patterns of CIS, noninvasive glandular CIS, papillary urothelial carcinoma, or invasive carcinoma. Immunostains for CK20, CD44, p53, and e-cadherin were performed on available blocks. History of prior urothelial neoplasia, prior treatment, and clinical follow-up were obtained from medical records and pathology re-review. Immunohistochemical analysis of plasmacytoid CIS showed diffuse/strong CK20 reactivity in 96% of cases (23/24), an abnormal p53 reactivity pattern (either overexpression or "null phenotype") in 37% of cases (7/19), absence of CD44 reactivity in the neoplastic cells in 63% of cases (15/24), and retained membranous e-cadherin expression in 100% of cases (18/18). Clinical follow-up (average follow-up time: 37.7 mo, range: 7 to 115 mo) showed recurrence/new occurrence in 52% of cases (12/23), including all 4 of the 23 patients who initially presented with de novo plasmacytoid CIS (ie, no prior or concomitant urothelial neoplasia). The histologic features, the immunophenotype, the association with other forms of urothelial neoplasia, and the risk of recurrence and progression in de novo lesions support that plasmacytoid CIS represents a novel pattern of flat urothelial carcinoma. These histologic features may be more subtle than in other more typical patterns of CIS and should be carefully distinguished from therapy-related/reactive changes.

Diagnosis of Papillary Breast Lesions on Core Needle Biopsy: Upgrade Rates and Interobserver Variability.

The histologic distinction between papillary breast lesions remains challenging, especially with core biopsy (CB) specimens. A retrospective review of the clinical, imaging, and histologic findings was performed for patients with papillary breast lesions on CB from 2013 to 2017. The interpretation accuracy was expressed as upgrade rate relative to the excision diagnosis. Diagnostic reproducibility with and without immunohistochemistry was analyzed as interobserver variability among 3 board-certified pathologists. Among 57 papillary lesions with biopsies and excisions available for review, the upgrade rates were 0% for benign papilloma, 30% for papilloma with atypical ductal hyperplasia, and 25% for papilloma with ductal carcinoma in situ, resulting in an overall upgrade rate of 11.1%. There were no statistical differences between patients in an upgrade group and others, when comparing the patient age, clinical presentation, BI-RADS (Breast Imaging Reporting and Database System) category, location, and histologic grade. The overall interobserver variability of the 60 consecutive core biopsies of papillary breast lesions by morphology alone was in the "substantial" agreement range (κ = 0.79, 86% agreement), with an excellent κ score of 0.88 for papilloma (92% agreement). "Substantial" and "fair" κ values were seen for papilloma with atypical ductal hyperplasia/ductal carcinoma in situ (0.74, 84% agreement) and invasive carcinoma (0.40, 60% agreement). Use of immunohistochemical stains improved the κ values into "excellent" range (0.92, 94% agreement). Our study favors a conservative approach in the management of benign papillomas, at least in cases of good radiologic-pathologic concordance. Papillary breast lesions with atypia/malignancy show lower diagnostic reproducibility on CB, and utility of immunohistochemistry is recommended in challenging cases.

Low Rate of Cancer Events After Partial Nephrectomy for Renal Cell Carcinoma: Clinicopathologic Analysis of 1994 Cases with Emphasis on Definition of "Recurrence".

BACKGROUND: Systematic pathology reviews in patients who experienced a clinical "recurrence" after partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are anecdotal; therefore, definitions of "recurrence" varies considerably. We aimed to better define local recurrence by re-evaluation of surgical specimens of patients who experienced "recurrences" after partial nephrectomy at our institution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of our institutional partial nephrectomy data set was performed. Patients who were clinically diagnosed with a local recurrence during the oncological follow-up after primary intervention for RCC were considered (January 2007 to December 2017, institutional review board number 5065, 15-1593). Re-evaluation of specimens coming from either primary treatment or management of the diagnosed recurrent disease was performed by 2 dedicated urologic pathologists. According to the findings of the pathology review, patients were assigned to 3 groups of disease event: (1) local recurrence of RCC; (2) new occurrence of RCC; and (3) micrometastatic RCC. Patient demographic characteristics, tumor pathological characteristics, oncological outcomes, disease treatment, and follow-up were reported for each patient. Cancer-specific survival was compared using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Of 1994 cases recorded in the institutional database, data on 30 patients who were clinically diagnosed with a local recurrence were extracted. After pathology review, 9 patients were found who truly developed a local recurrence (group 1). Positive surgical margin status was poorly related to the likelihood of a true local recurrence as defined herein. Twelve patients were assessed with a new occurrence of RCC (group 2). Nine were diagnosed with micrometastatic RCC (group 3). With comparable follow-up lengths among the groups (39 [interquartile range (IQR), 32-45] versus 51.5 [IQR, 35-90.5] versus 42 [IQR, 13-65], group 1 versus 2 versus 3, respectively; P = .4), patients classified in group 1 and 3 had comparable cancer-specific survival (P = .5). Conversely, patients in group 2 were less likely to die of disease compared with group 1 and 3 patients (P = .02). CONCLUSION: Careful pathologic classification of RCC disease events after partial nephrectomy has important prognostic implications and allows more precise study of the clinical significance of margin status.

Rapamycin Prevents Surgery-Induced Immune Dysfunction in Patients with Bladder Cancer.

The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) integrates environmental inputs to regulate cellular growth and metabolism in tumors. However, mTOR also regulates T-cell differentiation and activation, rendering applications of mTOR inhibitors toward treating cancer complex. Preclinical data support distinct biphasic effects of rapamycin, with higher doses directly suppressing tumor cell growth and lower doses enhancing T-cell immunity. To address the translational relevance of these findings, the effects of the mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) inhibitor, rapamycin, on tumor and T cells were monitored in patients undergoing cystectomy for bladder cancer. MB49 syngeneic murine bladder cancer models were tested to gain mechanistic insights. Surgery-induced T-cell exhaustion in humans and mice and was associated with increased pulmonary metastasis and decreased PD-L1 antibody efficacy in mouse bladder cancer. At 3 mg orally daily, rapamycin concentrations were 2-fold higher in bladder tissues than in blood. Rapamycin significantly inhibited tumor mTORC1, shown by decreased rpS6 phosphorylation in treated versus control patients (P = 0.008). Rapamycin reduced surgery-induced T-cell exhaustion in patients, evidenced by a significant decrease in the prevalence of dysfunctional programmed death-1 (PD-1)-expressing T cells. Grade 3 to 4 adverse event rates were similar between groups, but rapamycin-treated patients had a higher rate of wound complications versus controls. In conclusion, surgery promoted bladder cancer metastasis and decreased the efficacy of postoperative bladder cancer immunotherapy. Low-dose (3 mg daily) oral rapamycin has favorable pharmacodynamic and immune modulating activity in surgical patients and has the potential to decrease surgery-induced immune dysfunction.

Intratumoral CD56bright natural killer cells are associated with improved survival in bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Natural killer (NK) cells are effective at killing tumors in a non-MHC restricted manner and are emerging targets for cancer therapy but their importance in bladder cancer (BC) is poorly defined. NK cells are commonly subdivided into populations based on relative surface expression of CD56. Two major subsets are CD56bright and CD56dim NK cells. METHODS: The prevalence of intratumoral lymphocytes was examined via flow cytometric analysis of bladder tissue from a local cohort of patients with non-invasive and invasive BC (n=28). The association of NK cell subsets with cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) was examined in 50 patients with BC using Cox regression. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) of intratumoral lymphocytes isolated CD56 NK cell subsets were used for examination of function, including cytokine production and in vitro cytotoxicity. RESULTS: NK cells predominated among bladder intratumoral lymphocytes. Intratumoral CD56bright NK cells showed increased cytokine production and cytotoxicity compared to their CD56dim counterparts and were associated with improved CSS and OS independent of pathologic tumor stage. On the other hand, CD56dim NK cells were not associated with improved outcomes but were associated with higher pathologic stage. CONCLUSIONS: NK cells are frequent among intratumoral lymphocytes in BC. Bladder intratumoral CD56bright NK cells are functional and prognostically relevant whereas CD56dim NK cells are dysfunctional and prevalent in higher stage tumors. Thus, CD56bright NK cells are promising targets in BC.

Primary renal angiosarcoma.

An older male patient with a history of tachycardia treated with atenolol presented to an outside hospital on 22 February 2017 with acute right flank pain. He had a CT scan which revealed a large right renal mass with acute haemorrhage. He was initially managed with interventional radiology guided embolism on 25 February 2017 due to the ongoing bleeding and haemodynamic instability. He was then transferred to our institution. He underwent right radical nephrectomy on 13 March 2017. His pathology revealed a 12.5×6×4.5 cm mass consistent with angiosarcoma of the right kidney with negative margins. Final pathology was pT2b with extension of the mass into the renal vein and perirenal adipose tissue. He was discharged soon after surgery. He was recommended to undergo adjuvant chemotherapy.

Chondrosarcoma-like metastasis from a poorly differentiated uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma. A unique morphology and diagnostic pitfall in cytology.

Rare cases of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma with chondroid differentiation from esophageal primary have been reported but none from the uterine cervix. Given the rarity of this phenomenon and potential diagnostic pitfall, we present this unusual case. The patient is a 25-year-old woman who presented with shortness of breath. Computerized tomography (CT) showed several lung and pleural-based nodules. CT-guided core biopsy with touch preparations were performed on the pleural-based nodule. The touch preparations showed large, spindle-to-oval shaped cells with pleomorphic nuclei embedded in metachromatic chondroid stroma. The core biopsies also showed predominantly round-to-spindle shaped cells with hyperchromatic nuclei and prominent nucleoli embedded in a cartilaginous matrix. Her past medical history is significant for a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, which on review showed a typical non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma without sarcomatous differentiation. Immunohistochemical stains performed on the pleural-based mass showed tumor positivity for AE1/AE3, CK5/6, p16, and S-100. Similar results were seen when the cervical tumor was stained retrospectively. Human papilloma virus (HPV) in situ hybridization performed on both the pleural-based mass and cervical tumor detected the presence of high-risk HPV subtypes including 16 and 18. These findings supported a lung metastasis from the prior cervical carcinoma. This case emphasizes that cervical carcinoma can develop mesenchymal (chondrosarcomatous) differentiation in metastasis even in tumors presenting with pure epithelial phenotype. Awareness of this occurrence especially on limited cytology material, knowledge of the prior history and use of ancillary tests are extremely helpful in arriving at the correct diagnosis. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2017;45:750-753. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Fine-needle aspiration findings of Xp11 translocation renal cell carcinoma metastatic to a hilar lymph node.

Xp11 translocation renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a specific type of renal cell carcinoma recently placed under the "MiT family translocation RCC" at the last 2013 ISUP Vancouver classification of renal neoplasia. This tumor contains variable proportions of clear cells and could easily mimic papillary RCC, clear cell type, and clear cell papillary RCC. Given the small number of published cytologic findings of this tumor, it could easily present as a diagnostic pitfall. We describe a case of a 23-year-old man with a history of prior nephrectomy who presented with multiple mediastinal lymphadenopathies on imaging surveillance follow-up. Fine-needle aspiration of the lymph node showed tumor cells with voluminous clear to eosinophilic cytoplasm, well-defined cell borders and hyperchromatic nuclei arranged in papillary architecture. Review of the prior nephrectomy specimen showed papillary cores surrounded by cells with voluminous clear to finely granular eosinophilic cytoplasm and distinct cell borders. Immunohistochemical stains performed on the nephrectomy specimen showed tumor positivity for CD10, E-cadherin, a-methylacyl coenzyme A racemase, and TFE3 supporting the diagnosis of Xp11 translocation renal cell carcinoma. Although this tumor was initially described predominantly in children, it could also occur in adults, as seen in this case. Familiarity with the cytologic findings of this tumor, use of immunohistochemical stains, or cytogenetic test to determine the type of gene fusion will be extremely useful in arriving at the correct diagnosis. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2017;45:456-462. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Predictors of outcome in phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas.

Phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) are catecholamine-secreting neuroendocrine tumours characterised by high rates of heritability and genetic heterogeneity. Despite advances in the genetic diagnosis and improved understanding of the molecular aberrations underlying these tumours, predictive markers of malignancy remain scarce, limiting the outlook of patients with metastatic PPGL. The identification of robust predictive markers remains the most pressing challenge in PPGL management, so that the potential of targeted therapy to impact patient care can be fully realised.

Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the genitourinary tract in adults: cross-sectional imaging spectrum.

Neuroendocrine (NE) neoplasms of the genitourinary (GU) tract in adults are rare tumors with distinct histopathology and variable biological behavior and imaging findings. They may be primary or metastatic in origin. The spectrum of primary GU tract NE neoplasms includes carcinoid, small cell carcinoma, large cell NE carcinoma, and paraganglioma. The tumors commonly show positivity to specific immunohistochemical markers and characteristic dense-core granules at the ultra-structural level. Although imaging findings are nonspecific and accurate differentiation from the more common malignancies of the individual organs is not possible, cross-sectional imaging modalities play an important role in the diagnosis, staging, and surveillance of these tumors. Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (octreotide scan) may be useful in the detection and treatment of metastatic disease in select patients. Knowledge of the various NE tumors of the adult GU tract and familiarity with their pathological and imaging findings permit optimal patient management.

Outcomes of Active Surveillance for Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer in the Prospective, Multi-Institutional Canary PASS Cohort.

PURPOSE: Active surveillance represents a strategy to address the overtreatment of prostate cancer, yet uncertainty regarding individual patient outcomes remains a concern. We evaluated outcomes in a prospective multicenter study of active surveillance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 905 men in the prospective Canary PASS enrolled between 2008 and 2013. We collected clinical data at study entry and at prespecified intervals, and determined associations with adverse reclassification, defined as increased Gleason grade or greater cancer volume on followup biopsy. We also evaluated the relationships of clinical parameters with pathology findings in participants who underwent surgery after a period of active surveillance. RESULTS: At a median followup of 28 months 24% of participants experienced adverse reclassification, of whom 53% underwent treatment while 31% continued on active surveillance. Overall 19% of participants received treatment, 68% with adverse reclassification, while 32% opted for treatment without disease reclassification. In multivariate Cox proportional hazards modeling the percent of biopsy cores with cancer, body mass index and prostate specific antigen density were associated with adverse reclassification (p=0.01, 0.04, 0.04, respectively). Of 103 participants subsequently treated with radical prostatectomy 34% had adverse pathology, defined as primary pattern 4-5 or nonorgan confined disease, including 2 with positive lymph nodes, with no significant relationship between risk category at diagnosis and findings at surgery (p=0.76). CONCLUSIONS: Most men remain on active surveillance at 5 years without adverse reclassification or adverse pathology at surgery. However, clinical factors had only a modest association with disease reclassification, supporting the need for approaches that improve the prediction of this outcome.

Sarcomatoid urothelial carcinoma with chondrosarcomatous differentiation of the ureter: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Sarcomatoid urothelial cell carcinoma of the urinary tract has a poor prognosis. Most of the reported cases of sarcomatoid urothelial cell carcinomas are those from the urinary bladder. A limited number of these tumors originate from the ureter. CASE: We describe a ureteral sarcomatoid urothelial carcinoma in a 63-year-old man who underwent nephroureterectomy with bladder cuff. The malignant epithelial elements consisted of undifferentiated polygonal cells and areas of glandular formation. Urothelial carcinoma in situ was present in the overlying mucosa. The mesenchymal components were pleomorphic spindle cells and atypical chondrocytes within lacunae with multinucleation and mitoses. The tumor extended beyond the muscularis into the periureteral adipose tissue. The tumor recurred after 6 months in the retroperitoneum and presacral area. The patient received chemotherapy and radiotherapy but died 16 months after the initial diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Sarcomatoid urothelial carcinoma of the ureter is uncommon. Even rarer is the presence of malignant heterologous elements such as chondrosarcoma. The case described here underscores the aggressive nature of these neoplasms.

A model for the design and construction of a resource for the validation of prognostic prostate cancer biomarkers: the Canary Prostate Cancer Tissue Microarray.

Tissue microarrays (TMAs) provide unique resources for rapid evaluation and validation of tissue biomarkers. The Canary Foundation Retrospective Prostate Tissue Microarray Resource used a rigorous statistical design, quota sampling, a variation of the case-cohort study, to select patients for inclusion in a multicenter, retrospective prostate cancer TMA cohort. The study is designed to definitively validate tissue biomarkers of prostate cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy. Tissue samples from over 1000 participants treated for prostate cancer with radical prostatectomy between 1995 and 2004 were selected at 6 participating institutions in the United States and Canada. This design captured the heterogeneity of screening and clinical practices in the contemporary North American population. Standardized clinical data were collected in a centralized database. The project has been informative in several respects. The scale and complexity of assembling TMAs with over 200 cases at each of 6 sites involved unanticipated levels of effort and time. Our statistical design promises to provide a model for outcome-based studies where tissue localization methods are applied to high-density TMAs.

Genomic characterization of testis cancer: association of alterations with outcome of clinical stage 1 mixed germ cell nonseminomatous germ cell tumor of the testis.

OBJECTIVE: To identify genomic markers that are reliable in predicting lymph node metastases in clinical stage 1 non-seminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCTs). METHODS: Comparative genomic array technology was used to identify regions of genomic amplification or deletion in clinical stage 1 NSGCTs. Twelve stage 1 mixed germ cell testicular tumors were analyzed, which were obtained from 8 patients who had no evidence of nodal metastasis when retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) had been performed (ie, were RPLND negative) and 4 patients who had nodal metastases (ie, were RPLND positive). RESULTS: Differences between the genomic alterations associated with the two classes of tumors were identified. Genomic alterations previously reported in other subtypes of testicular tumors were observed in both metastatic and nonmetastatic cases. Statistically suggestive differences in mean copy number of the Y chromosome were found between metastatic and nonmetastatic cases (P = .0142). CONCLUSION: This finding suggests the presence of chromosome Y deletions to be a potential genetic marker for prediction of mixed germ cell tumor progression. This is a first step toward identifying chromosomal markers of progression in testicular cancer in clinical stage 1 mixed germ cell NSGCT.