Recommendations for reporting tissue and circulating tumour (ct)DNA next-generation sequencing results in non-small cell lung cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer is a heterogeneous disease and molecular characterisation plays an important role in its clinical management. Next-generation sequencing-based panel testing enables many molecular alterations to be interrogated simultaneously, allowing for comprehensive identification of actionable oncogenic drivers (and co-mutations) and appropriate matching of patients with targeted therapies. Despite consensus in international guidelines on the importance of broad molecular profiling, adoption of next-generation sequencing varies globally. One of the barriers to its successful implementation is a lack of accepted standards and guidelines specifically for the reporting and clinical annotation of next-generation sequencing results. Based on roundtable discussions between pathologists and oncologists, we provide best practice recommendations for the reporting of next-generation sequencing results in non-small cell lung cancer to facilitate its use and enable easy interpretation for physicians. These are intended to complement existing guidelines related to the use of next-generation sequencing (solid and liquid). Here, we discuss next-generation sequencing workflows, the structure of next-generation sequencing reports, and our recommendations for best practice thereof. The aim of these recommendations and considerations is ultimately to ensure that reports are fully interpretable, and that the most appropriate treatment options are selected based on robust molecular profiles in well-defined reports.

The risk of PD-L1 expression misclassification in triple-negative breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Stratification of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) for anti-PD-L1 therapy is based on PD-L1 expression in tumor biopsies. This study sought to evaluate the risk of PD-L1 misclassification. METHODS: We conducted a high-resolution analysis on ten surgical specimens of TNBC. First, we determined PD-L1 expression pattern distribution via manual segmentation and measurement of 6666 microscopic clusters of positive PD-L1 immunohistochemical staining. Then, based on these results, we generated a computer model to calculate the effect of the positive PD-L1 fraction, aggregate size, and distribution of PD-L1 positive cells on the diagnostic accuracy. RESULTS: Our computer-based model showed that larger aggregates of PD-L1 positive cells and smaller biopsy size were associated with higher fraction of false results (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively). Additionally, our model showed a significant increase in error rate when the fraction of PD-L1 expression was close to the cut-off (error rate of 12.1%, 0.84%, and 0.65% for PD-L1 positivity of 0.5-1.5%, ≤ 0.5% ,and ≥ 1.5%, respectively, P < 0.0001). Interestingly, false positive results were significantly higher than false negative results (0.51-22.62%, with an average of 6.31% versus 0.11-11.36% with an average of 1.58% for false positive and false negative results, respectively, P < 0.05). Furthermore, heterogeneous tumors with different aggregate sizes in the same tumor, were associated with increased rate of false results in comparison to homogenous tumors (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our model can be used to estimate the risk of PD-L1 misclassification in biopsies, with potential implications for treatment decisions.

Tumor-to-Tumor Metastasis of Colorectal Adenocarcinoma to Ovarian Cystadenofibroma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Tumor-to-tumor metastasis is being described in different types of tumors and in increasing amount of cases. Being aware of this phenomenon is important, as it affects disease stage and treatment approach. In this report, we descried an incidental histopathologic finding of metastatic adenocarcinoma to an ovarian cystadenofibroma and review cases published previously in the literature.

Geographic Heterogeneity for Mismatch Repair Proteins Is Associated with Defects in DNA Repair.

BACKGROUND: Evaluation of mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency is conducted via immunohistochemistry or by microsatellite instability (MSI) analysis. Heterogeneous immunohistochemistry staining for MMR proteins may show different patterns; however, according to current guidelines, all of those patterns should be interpreted as MMR proficient. This conclusion might lead to false negative results because although most cases of heterogeneity stem from technical factors and biological variability, other types of heterogeneity represent true MMR deficiency. OBJECTIVES: To identify a unique heterogeneity pattern that is associated with true MMR loss. METHODS: We analyzed 145 cases of colorectal carcinoma. Immunohistochemistry staining for MLH1, PMS2, MSH2, and MSH6 were performed. We defined geographic heterogeneity as areas of tumor nuclear staining adjacent to areas of loss of tumor nuclear staining with intact staining in the surrounding stroma. All cases were evaluated for the presence of geographic heterogeneity. In addition, 24 cases were also evaluated by MSI testing. RESULTS: Of the 145 cases, 24 (16.5%) were MMR deficient. Of the 24 cases for which MSI analysis was also available, 10 cases (41.7%) demonstrated biological heterogeneity, 5 (20.8%) demonstrated technical heterogeneity, and 2 (8.3%) demonstrated geographic heterogeneity. Only the two cases with geographic heterogeneity were MSI-high via MSI analysis. In addition, a germline mutation in MSH-6 was identified in one of these cases. CONCLUSIONS: Geographic heterogeneity may raise a suspicion for a MMR-deficient case, which should be further analyzed using additional methodologies such as MSI analysis.

Loss of Glycine Transporter 1 Causes a Subtype of Glycine Encephalopathy with Arthrogryposis and Mildly Elevated Cerebrospinal Fluid Glycine.

Glycine is a major neurotransmitter that activates inhibitory glycine receptors and is a co-agonist for excitatory glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Two transporters, GLYT1 and GLYT2, regulate extracellular glycine concentrations within the CNS. Dysregulation of the extracellular glycine has been associated with hyperekplexia and nonketotic hyperglycinemia. Here, we report four individuals from two families who presented at birth with facial dysmorphism, encephalopathy, arthrogryposis, hypotonia progressing to hypertonicity with startle-like clonus, and respiratory failure. Only one individual survived the respiratory failure and was weaned off ventilation but has significant global developmental delay. Mildly elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glycine and normal serum glycine were observed in two individuals. In both families, we identified truncating mutations in SLC6A9, encoding GLYT1. We demonstrate that pharmacologic or genetic abolishment of GlyT1 activity in mice leads to mildly elevated glycine in the CSF but not in blood. Additionally, previously reported slc6a9-null mice and zebrafish mutants also display phenotypes consistent with the affected individuals we examined. Our data suggest that truncating SLC6A9 mutations lead to a distinct human neurological syndrome hallmarked by mildly elevated CSF glycine and normal serum glycine.

Mutant KRAS Circulating Tumor DNA Is an Accurate Tool for Pancreatic Cancer Monitoring.

BACKGROUND: Many new pancreatic cancer treatment combinations have been discovered in recent years, yet the prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains grim. The advent of new treatments highlights the need for better monitoring tools for treatment response, to allow a timely switch between different therapeutic regimens. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a tool for cancer detection and characterization with growing clinical use. However, currently, ctDNA is not used for monitoring treatment response. The high prevalence of KRAS hotspot mutations in PDAC suggests that mutant KRAS can be an efficient ctDNA marker for PDAC monitoring. SUBJECTS, MATERIALS, AND METHODS: Seventeen metastatic PDAC patients were recruited and serial plasma samples were collected. CtDNA was extracted from the plasma, and KRAS mutation analysis was performed using next-generation sequencing and correlated with serum CA19-9 levels, imaging, and survival. RESULTS: Plasma KRAS mutations were detected in 5/17 (29.4%) patients. KRAS ctDNA detection was associated with shorter survival (8 vs. 37.5 months). Our results show that, in ctDNA positive patients, ctDNA is at least comparable to CA19-9 as a marker for monitoring treatment response. Furthermore, the rate of ctDNA change was inversely correlated with survival. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm that mutant KRAS ctDNA detection in metastatic PDAC patients is a poor prognostic marker. Additionally, we were able to show that mutant KRAS ctDNA analysis can be used to monitor treatment response in PDAC patients and that ctDNA dynamics is associated with survival. We suggest that ctDNA analysis in metastatic PDAC patients is a readily available tool for disease monitoring. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Avoiding futile chemotherapy in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients by monitoring response to treatment is of utmost importance. A novel biomarker for monitoring treatment response in PDAC, using mutant KRAS circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), is proposed. Results, although limited by small sample numbers, suggest that ctDNA can be an effective marker for disease monitoring and that ctDNA level over time is a better predictor of survival than the dynamics of the commonly used biomarker CA19-9. Therefore, ctDNA analysis can be a useful tool for monitoring PDAC treatment response. These results should be further validated in larger sample numbers.

Nanoparticles target early-stage breast cancer metastasis in vivo.

Despite advances in cancer therapy, treating cancer after it has metastasized remains an unmet clinical challenge. In this study we demonstrate that 100 nm liposomes target triple-negative murine breast-cancer metastases post intravenous administration. Metastatic breast cancer was induced in BALB/c mice either experimentally, by a tail vein injection of 4T1 cells, or spontaneously, after implanting a primary tumor xenograft. To track their biodistribution in vivo the liposomes were labeled with multi-modal diagnostic agents, including indocyanine green and rhodamine for whole-animal fluorescent imaging, gadolinium for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and europium for a quantitative biodistribution analysis. The accumulation of liposomes in the metastases peaked at 24 h post the intravenous administration, similar to the time they peaked in the primary tumor. The efficiency of liposomal targeting to the metastatic tissue exceeded that of a non-liposomal agent by 4.5-fold. Liposomes were detected at very early stages in the metastatic progression, including metastatic lesions smaller than 2 mm in diameter. Surprisingly, while nanoparticles target breast cancer metastasis, they may also be found in elevated levels in the pre-metastatic niche, several days before metastases are visualized by MRI or histologically in the tissue. This study highlights the promise of diagnostic and therapeutic nanoparticles for treating metastatic cancer, possibly even for preventing the onset of the metastatic dissemination by targeting the pre-metastatic niche.

Constitutional Mismatch Repair Deficiency in Israel: High Proportion of Founder Mutations in MMR Genes and Consanguinity.

BACKGROUND: Heterozygous germline mutations in any of the mismatch repair (MMR) genes, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2, cause Lynch syndrome (LS), an autosomal dominant cancer predisposition syndrome conferring a high risk of colorectal, endometrial, and other cancers in adulthood. Offspring of couples where both spouses have LS have a 1:4 risk of inheriting biallelic MMR gene mutations. These cause constitutional MMR deficiency (CMMRD) syndrome, a severe recessively inherited cancer syndrome with a broad tumor spectrum including mainly hematological malignancies, brain tumors, and colon cancer in childhood and adolescence. Many CMMRD children also present with café au lait spots and axillary freckling mimicking neurofibromatosis type 1. PROCEDURE: We describe our experience in seven CMMRD families demonstrating the role and importance of founder mutations and consanguinity on its prevalence. Clinical presentations included brain tumors, colon cancer, lymphoma, and small bowel cancer. RESULTS: In children from two nonconsanguineous Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) families, the common Ashkenazi founder mutations were detected; these were homozygous in one family and compound heterozygous in the other. In four consanguineous families of various ancestries, different homozygous mutations were identified. In a nonconsanguineous Caucasus/AJ family, lack of PMS2 was demonstrated in tumor and normal tissues; however, mutations were not identified. CONCLUSIONS: CMMRD is rare, but, especially in areas where founder mutations for LS and consanguinity are common, pediatricians should be aware of it since they are the first to encounter these children. Early diagnosis will enable tailored cancer surveillance in the entire family and a discussion regarding prenatal genetic diagnosis.

Evidence for the initiation of decompression sickness by exposure to intense underwater sound.

Mass stranding of cetaceans (whales and dolphins), in close association with the activity of naval sonar systems, has been reported on numerous occasions. Necropsy showed bubble-associated lesions similar to those described in human decompression sickness (DCS). We examined the hypothesis that exposure to underwater sound may potentiate DCS. Rats were subjected to immersion and simulated dives with and without simultaneous acoustic transmissions at pressure levels and frequencies of 204 dB/8 kHz and 183.3 dB/15 kHz. DCS severity was assessed using the rotating wheel method. Recording of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) was employed under general anesthesia as an electrophysiological measure of neurologic insult. A significantly higher rate of decompression sickness was found among animals exposed to the 204-dB/8-kHz sound field. Significantly higher pathological SSEPs scores were noted for both underwater sound protocols. Pathological SSEPs scores in animals immersed during the acoustic transmissions, but without changes in ambient pressure, were comparable to those observed in animals exposed to the dive profile. The results demonstrate induction of neurological damage by intense underwater sound during immersion, with a further deleterious effect when this was combined with decompression stress. The study outcome has potential implications for human diving safety and may provide an explanation for the mass stranding of cetaceans purportedly associated with sonar activity.

Post-irradiation angiosarcoma of the breast: clinical presentation and outcome in a series of six cases.

Angiosarcoma of the breast represents 1% of all soft tissue breast tumors. With breast-conserving therapy (BCT) as standard in the last three decades, a new type of angiosarcoma has been reported: post-irradiation angiosarcoma (PIAS). A recent study based on the SEER database found an absolute risk for PIAS of seven per 100,000 person-years for BCT patients. We present a retrospective analysis of the clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcome of six cases of PIAS treated in our institution from 1995 to 2010. Mean age at diagnosis of breast cancer was 68 years (range 54-76 years). All patients underwent BCT. Adjuvant radiotherapy was given to all patients at doses of 45-50 Gy. Mean time from adjuvant radiotherapy to PIAS was 9.2 years (range 5.3-13.8 years); median follow-up from diagnosis of PIAS was 41.8 months (range 11-102 months). At diagnosis of PIAS, mean age of patients was 78 years (range 63-87 years). All patients underwent simple mastectomy, following which one patient received chemotherapy with doxorubicin and three patients received radiation therapy. Two patients developed local recurrence, one concurrent with metastatic disease. Another patient was diagnosed after 24 months with extensive small cell lung cancer and died of disease without recurrence of PIAS. Four patients are alive without evidence of recurrence. PIAS is a very rare sarcoma occurring after BCT. Careful observation after adjuvant radiotherapy is required. Standard treatment is the surgery with simple mastectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy; chemotherapy may be considered for more advanced cases.

A deep penetrating facial congenital melanocytic tumor with bone involvement and ipsilateral eye blindness.

Bone involvement has been described in tumors with melanocytic differentiation such as melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy, and very rarely in cellular blue nevi and neurocristic cutaneous hamartoma. We present an unusual case of facial congenital melanocytic tumor that involved the underlying bones and maxillary sinus and led to unilateral blindness. A newborn with a large red bluish patch with peripheral brown and black macules overlying marked swelling on the left side of his face was presented. The tumor was shown by magnetic resonance imaging, scintigraphy, and histopathology to invade the underlying bones and maxillary sinus and to compress the left eyeball resulting in blindness. Histopathology, immunohistochemistry, morphometric computerized microscopy, molecular genetic mutation analysis, and fluorescent in situ hybridization studies were more congruent with a melanocytic nevus. An 8.5-year follow-up was uneventful, with spontaneous partial shrinkage of the tumor.

Frozen section examination may facilitate reconstructive surgery for mid and low rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Distal margin >1 cm provides an oncologic safety in low-lying rectal cancers. We evaluated the accuracy of frozen section (FS) examination in estimating distal margins, and its impact on intraoperative decision making regarding restorative proctectomy. METHODS: Retrospective study of patients who underwent surgery for adenocarcinoma of the mid or lower rectum during 2001-2010 and for whom a distal margin specimen was examined intraoperatively by FS, to confirm microscopically free margins. Intraoperative findings, and frozen and final paraffin section findings were retrieved from patient charts. A distal margin of ≤1 cm was compared with >1 cm, for free margins at final pathology and local recurrence (LR). The impact of a distal margin ≤5 mm was also assessed. The impact of FS on intraoperative decision making, in patients who did and did not receive preoperative chemoradiotherapy, was assessed. RESULTS: The mean age of the 63 patients studied was 66.4 ± 11.8 years, and median tumor distance from the anal verge 6 cm (range 1-10 cm). Seven patients underwent abdominoperineal resection, 54 anterior resection, and two Hartman procedures. FS sensitivity and specificity were 83% and 98%, respectively. Accuracy of FS was high for the 41 patients treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy, and the 22 who were not. Distal margin >5 mm at FS examination ensured a free margin at final pathology. LR rate was comparable between patients with distal margin >10 mm and ≤10 mm, 8% vs 11%, P = 0.65. CONCLUSIONS: FS examination may help determine free distal margin and consequently, in selected cases, may facilitate a restorative procedure in patients with low rectal cancer.

Detection of Muscularis propria Invasion in Urothelial Carcinoma Using Artificial Intelligence.

Background & Objective: Assessment of muscularis propria invasion is a crucial step in the management of urothelial carcinoma since it necessitates aggressive treatment. The diagnosis of muscle invasion is a challenging process for pathologists. Artificial intelligence is developing rapidly and being implemented in various fields of pathology. The purpose of this study was to develop an algorithm for the detection of muscularis propria invasion in urothelial carcinoma. Methods: The Training cohort consisted of 925 images from 50 specimens of urothelial carcinoma. Ninety-seven images from 10 new specimens were used as a validation cohort. Clinical validation used 127 whole specimens with a total of 617 slides. The algorithm determined areas where tumor and muscularis propria events were in nearest proximity, and presented these areas to the pathologist. Results: Analytical evaluation showed a sensitivity of 72% for muscularis propria and 65% for tumor, and a specificity of 46% and 77% for muscularis propria and tumor detection, respectively. The incorporation of the spatial proximity factor between muscularis propria and tumor in the clinical validation significantly improved the detection of muscularis propria invasion, as the algorithm managed to identify all except for one case with muscle invasive bladder cancer in the clinical validation cohort. The case missed by the algorithm was nested urothelial carcinoma, a rare subtype with unusual morphologic features. The pathologist managed to identify muscle invasion based on the images provided by the algorithm in a short time, with an average of approximately 5 s. Conclusion: The algorithm we developed may greatly aid in accurate identification of muscularis propria invasion by imitating the thought process of the pathologist.

Algorithm-assisted diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease - evaluation of robustness and comparative image analysis on data from various labs and slide scanners.

BACKGROUND: Differences in the preparation, staining and scanning of digital pathology slides create significant pre-analytic variability. Algorithm-assisted tools must be able to contend with this variability in order to be applicable in clinical practice. In a previous study, a decision support algorithm was developed to assist in the diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease. In the current study, we tested the robustness of this algorithm while assessing for pre-analytic factors which may affect its performance. METHODS: The decision support algorithm was used on digital pathology slides obtained from four different medical centers (A-D) and scanned by three different scanner models (by Philips, Hamamatsu and 3DHISTECH). A total of 192 cases and 1782 slides were used in this study. RGB histograms were constructed to compare images from the various medical centers and scanner models and highlight the differences in color and contrast. RESULTS: The algorithm was able to correctly identify ganglion cells in 99.2% of cases, from all medical centers (All scanned by the Philips slide scanner) as well as 95.5% and 100% of the slides scanned by the 3DHISTECH and Hamamatsu brand slide scanners, respectively. The total error rate for center D was lower than the other medical centers (3.9% vs 7.1%, 10.8% and 6% for centers A-C, respectively), the vast majority of errors being false positives (3.45% vs 0.45% false negatives). The other medical centers showed a higher rate of false negatives in relation to false positives (6.81% vs 0.29%, 9.8% vs 1.2% and 5.37% vs 0.63% for centers A-C, respectively). The total error rates for the Philips, Hamamatsu and 3DHISTECH brand scanners were 3.9%, 3.2% and 9.8%, respectively. RGB histograms demonstrated significant differences in pixel value distribution between the four medical centers, as well as between the 3DHISTECH brand scanner when compared to the Philips and Hamamatsu brand scanners. CONCLUSIONS: The results reported in this paper suggest that the algorithm-based decision support system has sufficient robustness to be applicable for clinical practice. In addition, the novel method used in its development - Hierarchial-Contexual Analysis (HCA) may be applicable to the development of algorithm-assisted tools in other diseases, for which available datasets are limited. Validation of any given algorithm-assisted support system should nonetheless include data from as many medical centers and scanner models as possible.

Automatic analysis of nuclear features reveals a non-tumoral predictor of tumor grade in bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Tumor grade determines prognosis in urothelial carcinoma. The classification of low and high grade is based on nuclear morphological features that include nuclear size, hyperchromasia and pleomorphism. These features are subjectively assessed by the pathologists and are not numerically measured, which leads to high rates of interobserver variability. The purpose of this study is to assess the value of a computer-based image analysis tool for identifying predictors of tumor grade in bladder cancer. METHODS: Four hundred images of urothelial tumors were graded by five pathologists and two expert genitourinary pathologists using a scale of 1 (lowest grade) to 5 (highest grade). A computer algorithm was used to automatically segment the nuclei and to provide morphometric parameters for each nucleus, which were used to establish the grading algorithm. Grading algorithm was compared to pathologists' agreement. RESULTS: Comparison of the grading scores of the five pathologists with the expert genitourinary pathologists score showed agreement rates between 88.5% and 97.5%.The agreement rate between the two expert genitourinary pathologists was 99.5%. The quantified algorithm based conventional parameters that determine the grade (nuclear size, pleomorphism and hyperchromasia) showed > 85% agreement with the expert genitourinary pathologists. Surprisingly, the parameter that was most associated with tumor grade was the 10th percentile of the nuclear area, and high grade was associated with lower 10th percentile nuclei, caused by the presence of more inflammatory cells in the high-grade tumors. CONCLUSION: Quantitative nuclear features could be applied to determine urothelial carcinoma grade and explore new biologically explainable parameters with better correlation to grade than those currently used.

Normal colon tissue and colon carcinoma show no difference in heparanase promoter methylation.

INTRODUCTION: Heparanase, the sole heparan sulfate degrading enzyme, has a role in cellular invasion. Accordingly, a large number of studies have demonstrated an association between heparanase expression and tumor stage and patients' prognosis. In colon carcinoma, heparanase shows increased expression in tumor compared to normal tissue and its expression correlates with the presence of metastasis. One of the regulatory mechanisms of heparanase expression is de-methylation on its promoter. In the present study we evaluated the role of heparanase promoter methylation in colon carcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Analysis of heparanase promoter methylation was done on 32 samples of colon carcinoma as well as 30 samples of normal colonic mucosa. DNA was extracted from FFPE tissue and subjected to bisulfite conversion. The relative fraction of methylated and unmethylated DNA was evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: The fraction of methylated DNA was 1 ± 3.4% in the colon carcinoma group, and 2.5 ± 3.3% in the normal colon group (P=0.11). Only one case in the normal group and one case in the tumor group showed more than 10% methylation in the heparanase promoter. CONCLUSION: We did not find any significant difference in heparanase promoter methylation between colon carcinoma and normal colonic mucosa, suggesting that heparanase overexpression in colon carcinoma is mediated by other mechanisms.

KRAS mutation positive mucinous adenocarcinoma originating in mature ovarian teratoma: case report and review of literature.

Mature ovarian teratomas rarely undergo transformation into malignancy. Carcinomas, mostly squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common malignancy arising in mature cystic teratoma. In the present report we describe a 13-year-old girl who developed a large mass in her ovary. Fine needle biopsy identified intestinal type mucinous adenocarcinoma, which was also identified in the full surgical specimen. Extensive sampling of the surgical specimen also identified areas of mature cystic teratoma. Interestingly, molecular analysis of DNA extracted from various components of the lesion identified KRAS mutation in the carcinoma, borderline mucinous tumor and benign intestinal-type epithelium but not in the epidermal component of the teratoma. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of KRAS mutation in mucinous carcinoma originating in mature cystic teratoma. We discuss the importance of extensive tissue sampling to differentiate between carcinoma originating in teratoma and metastatic colorectal carcinoma to the ovary. Additionally, the identification of KRAS mutation in the morphologically benign intestinal-type epithelium indicated that it is an early event in the carcinogenic sequence and that the molecular pathway of carcinogenesis in teratoma is similar to that in the carcinogenic process of somatic tissue.

[Molecular pathology - aspects in KRAS mutation analysis in colon carcinoma].

Recent advances in understanding the molecular basis of cancer have led to the development of novel targeted therapies. The advantage of these therapies lies in their increased efficiency and reduced adverse events as compared to classicaL chemotherapy. One of these novel treatments is antibodies directed against Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor for colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Apparently, this treatment is only effective in patients whose tumor carries a wild-type copy of KRAS. Therefore, treatment decision in patients with CRC is based on molecular pathoLogical examination of the tumor tissue. Molecular testing for KRAS mutation in CRC carries new challenges. As opposed to germ-line mutations, which are present in all the cells, most of the mutations in cancer are somatic and present only in the tumor cells. This might make the diagnosis more difficult since the tumor tissue contains the tumor cells as well as stromal and inflammatory cells. Choosing an area that contains a smaller fraction of tumor cells might Lead to false negative results in the moLecular diagnosis. Identification of a tumor-rich area by a pathologist, who also determines the tumor cell fraction and chooses a test modality with the required sensitivity, will reduce the risk for such mistakes. Another issue that requires attention is intra-tumor heterogeneity. Recent reports have demonstrated that tumor cell population contains several sub-groups with differences in their mutational status. This phenomenon might affect the treatment choice and patients' response to therapy. However, recent reports in the literature indicate relative homogeneity for KRAS mutational status in CRC. In summary, molecular pathology is a new and rapidly evolving field chaLLenging pathologists involved in cancer diagnosis. It is crucial to make sure that the testing would be carried out in specialized centers that can address the molecular, as well as the histo-pathological aspects of the disease, to allow accurate diagnoses of high quality.

Perineural invasion detection in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma using artificial intelligence.

Perineural invasion (PNI) refers to the presence of cancer cells around or within nerves, raising the risk of residual tumor. Linked to worse prognosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), PNI is also being explored as a therapeutic target. The purpose of this work was to build a PNI detection algorithm to enhance accuracy and efficiency in identifying PNI in PDAC specimens. Training used 260 manually segmented nerve and tumor HD images from 6 scanned PDAC cases; Analytical performance analysis used 168 additional images; clinical analysis used 59 PDAC cases. The algorithm pinpointed key areas of tumor-nerve proximity for pathologist confirmation. Analytical performance reached sensitivity of 88% and 54%, and specificity of 78% and 85% for the detection of nerve and tumor, respectively. Incorporating tumor-nerve distance in clinical evaluation raised PNI detection from 52 to 81% of all cases. Interestingly, pathologist analysis required an average of only 24 s per case. This time-efficient tool accurately identifies PNI in PDAC, even with a small training cohort, by imitating pathologist thought processes.