Fine-needle aspiration biopsy and endoscopic ultrasound for pretreatment pathological diagnosis of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

Background. Although it is possible to visualize gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) of the stomach by endoscopy, their pretreatment histological diagnosis is often difficult. The aim of this study was to investigate predictors of accurate preoperative pathological diagnosis of gastric GIST. Material and Methods. We retrospectively studied patients with gastric GIST who had undergone pretreatment endoscopic biopsy and surgery, and examined their clinicopathological data. Results. Twenty-three patients were eligible. Thirty-four endoscopic biopsies (mean 2.6, range 1-8) were obtained. Preoperative pathological diagnoses of GIST were made in 18 patients. Precise diagnoses were made in 18 (52.9%) of the 34 biopsies. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) resulted in precise diagnoses in 11 (91.7%) of the 12 biopsy specimens. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy resulted in precise diagnoses in 11 (84.6%) of the 13 biopsy specimens. The accuracy of pathological diagnosis by EUS-guided FNA biopsy was 100%. The procedure of EUS-guided FNA biopsy had no complications or recurrent disease. In a multivariate analysis, only EUS achieved a significantly superior rate of diagnosis (odds ratio, 11.884; 95% confidence interval, 1.204-289.230; P = 0.034). Conclusion. EUS-guided FNA biopsy is the most accurate for pretreatment pathological diagnosis of gastric GIST and for prevention of both of early complications and disease recurrence.

Prognostic impact of detecting viable circulating tumour cells in gastric cancer patients using a telomerase-specific viral agent: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: The identification of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood is a useful approach to estimate prognosis, monitor disease progression, and measure treatment effects in various malignancies. However, clinical relevance of CTCs is controversial. We attempted to detect viable CTCs in the peripheral blood of gastric cancer patients using a telomerase-specific viral agent. METHODS: We took a 7.5-ml blood sample from 65 treatment-negative gastric cancer patients before surgery and 10 healthy volunteers. We detected viable CTCs in the blood samples after incubating them with a telomerase-specific, replication-selective, oncolytic adenoviral agent carrying the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene (OBP-401). GFP-positive CTCs were defined as having a diameter of at least 7.735 µm; this threshold was determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. GFP-positive cells were counted under a fluorescence microscope. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in overall survival among the patients with 0-4 and those with ≥5 GFP-positive CTCs in the stage I-IV disease group and stage II-IV advanced disease group. The number of GFP-positive CTCs was not related to cancer stage. Among the pathological findings, the number of GFP-positive CTCs was only significantly related to venous invasion, although there were trends towards more GFP-positive CTCs with disease progression (tumour depth, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, lymphatic invasion, and histological type). CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant relationship between the number of GFP-positive CTCs and overall survival in the patients with gastric cancer. The detection of CTCs using OBP-401 may be useful for prognostic evaluation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: University Hospital Medical Information Network in Japan, UMIN000002018.

Concurrent gastric MALT and Hodgkin lymphoma: a case report.

This report describes a 60-year-old man with concurrent gastric extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma) and classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL). Atypical, medium-sized, lymphoid cells proliferated in the mucosa to muscular layer of the stomach showing a lymphoepithelial lesion; admixed with Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells and an inflammatory cell background. MALT lymphoma cells expressed CD20, CD79a, PAX5, and BOB.1, and HRS cells expressed CD30, CD15, Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA, and EBV-latent membrane protein 1. Only CHL invaded into the regional lymph nodes. Two possibilities of transformation of MALT lymphoma into CHL and de novo CHL within MALT lymphoma are discussed.

Clinicopathological characteristics and treatment strategies in early gastric cancer: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Both endoscopic and surgical approaches are employed in the treatment of early gastric cancer (EGC). The aim of this study was to establish appropriate treatment strategies for early gastric cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively examined clinicopathological data of EGC patients who had undergone surgery. RESULTS: A total of 327 patients (204 males and 123 females, mean age 63.2 years) were eligible for inclusion in the study. The median follow-up period was 31 months. Of 161 mucosal (pT1a) tumors, 87 were mainly undifferentiated and 110 had an undifferentiated component. Four patients with pT1a tumors had lymph node metastases; all these tumors were signet-ring cell carcinomas and were macroscopic type 0-IIc with ulceration, and only one of them had lymphatic invasion. Among patients with submucosal tumors, four of 43 patients with pT1b1 tumors and 37 of 123 patients with pT1b2 tumors had nodal metastases. Lymph node metastases were significantly higher in mixed undifferentiated type group than differentiated type group for both groups, pT1a-pT1b1 (p = 0.0251) and pT1b2 (p = 0.0430) subgroups. Only four of 45 patients with nodal metastases were diagnosed preoperatively by computed tomography (sensitivity 8.9%, specificity 96.2%). Nine patients with pT1b tumors had recurrence after surgery, and died. The sites of initial recurrence were liver, bone, peritoneum, distant nodes, and the surgical anastomosis. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of nodal metastases was approximately 5% in undifferentiated type mucosal (pT1a) tumors, and higher in submucosal (pT1b) tumors. The sensitivity of preoperative diagnosis of nodal metastases in EGC using computed tomography was relatively low in this study. Therefore at present surgery with adequate lymphadenectomy should be performed as curative treatment for undifferentiated type EGC.

Malignant adenomyoepithelioma of the breast with matrix production may be compatible with one variant form of matrix-producing carcinoma: a case report.

We examined a 77-year-old woman who suffered from a left breast tumor. She had undergone right mastectomy for invasive ductal carcinoma at 68 years of age, and rectal resection for mucinous carcinoma at the age of 74 years. The left breast tumor measured 3.8 x 2.5 x 1.6 cm. Neoplastic cells consisted of atypical epithelial and myoepithelial cells. The former cells were polygonal and large. They were located in the periphery of the tumor, arranged in a ductal pattern, and expressed cytokeratins, S-100 protein, maspin, and MIC2. The latter cells were composed of dark cells which proliferated in a periductal pattern, and stellate cells which were located in the center of the tumor. They invaded the chondromyxoid tissues, and proliferated in a lace-like pattern. Atypical myoepithelial cells expressed vimentin, S-100 protein, maspin, and MIC2. We conclude that malignant adenomyoepithelioma of the breast with matrix production might be compatible with a variant form of matrix-producing carcinoma.

Spindle and giant cell type undifferentiated carcinoma arising in the common bile duct: a case report.

We report on a 61-year-old Japanese male with a pedunculated tumor in the common bile duct. The tumor consisted of two types of neoplastic cells. The majority showed atypical spindle- and giant-shaped features and proliferated densely in an inflammatory stroma, revealing a sarcomatous pattern. They expressed vimentin, KL-1, and CAM5.2. The remaining minority showed glandular and tubular features, occupied only less than 5%, located only in the tumor surface, and expressed wide spectrum keratin, KL-1, CAM5.2, epithelial membrane antigen, AE1/AE3, and carcinoembryonic antigen. CD68-positive osteoclast-like giant cells were also observed. Therefore, the patient was diagnosed as having an undifferentiated carcinoma, spindle and giant cell type.

A case of ovarian mature cystic teratoma presenting as a pedunculated ileal tumor.

We report on a 34-year-old Japanese woman who presented with a pedunculated ileal tumor and who was finally diagnosed as having a right ovarian mature cystic teratoma penetrating and protruding into the ileum. She had undergone laparoscopic left ovarian cystectomy, whose specimen was diagnosed as dermoid cyst when she was 27 years old. The colon fiberscope revealed an ileal polyp, diagnosed as mature teratoma. Because of adhesion to the necrotic nodule between the tumor and the right ovary, ileocecal resection and right ovarian cystectomy were performed. The ileal tumor contained tissues of skin, neuroglia, ganglion, choroid, retina, smooth muscle, as well as fibrous and adipose tissues, cartilage, bone, mucous epithelium, and bronchial structures with bronchial glands. The necrotic nodule showed abscess, granulation tissue, foreign body reaction, hairs, normal ileal epithelium, and the ovary with ovums.

Pancreatic endocrine tumor with partial acinar cell differentiation.

We examined a 70-year-old woman in whom a pancreatic endocrine tumor with partial acinar cell differentiation had been diagnosed. She had neither endocrine nor exocrine symptoms. The tumor was located in the pancreatic tail and measured 12.5 x 9.5 x 8 cm. It had a capsule, was composed of multiple adhesion nodules, and was elastically soft, medullary, and yellowish white. The neoplastic cells had large, irregular, oval nuclei; prominent eosinophilic nucleoli; and abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm with many fine granules. The cells had proliferated in islet-like solid medullary, trabecular, acinar, and papillary patterns. Most neoplastic cells were strongly positive for synaptophysin. 10 to 25% of the neoplastic cells were positive for alpha1-antitrypsin. Neuroendocrine and zymogen granules were simultaneously observed in the cytoplasm of the same neoplastic cells at the ultrastructural level. The tumor may be considered an amphicrine tumor.

Osteosarcoma arising in the breast.

We report on a 49-year-old woman with osteosarcoma arising in the breast. She had undergone two consecutive excision biopsies for right breast tumors at ages 40 and 42 years. The tumors were diagnosed as a fibroadenoma and a benign phyllodes tumor, respectively. At age 46 years, she noticed a gradually enlarging mass in the same breast. After 3 years, at age 49 years, total mastectomy was performed. The tumor occupied the entire breast and measured 12x9x8.5 cm. The tumor cells were spindle-shaped and pleomorphic, with large, irregular nuclei and distinct nucleoli. Many tumor cells had characteristics of osteoblastic and chondroblastic elements producing osteoid, osseous, and cartilaginous intracellular substances. Pathologic mitoses and apoptotic cells were frequent. Neoplastic cells had infiltrated the skin. Blood and lymph vessel invasion was present. Tumor cells expressed vimentin, osteopontin, vascular endothelial growth factor, CD10, and alkaline phosphatase, but did not express keratin. Chemotherapy was not effective. The patient died of multiple pulmonary metastases 9 months after mastectomy.