Radiomics and artificial intelligence for precision medicine in lung cancer treatment.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. It exhibits, at the mesoscopic scale, phenotypic characteristics that are generally indiscernible to the human eye but can be captured non-invasively on medical imaging as radiomic features, which can form a high dimensional data space amenable to machine learning. Radiomic features can be harnessed and used in an artificial intelligence paradigm to risk stratify patients, and predict for histological and molecular findings, and clinical outcome measures, thereby facilitating precision medicine for improving patient care. Compared to tissue sampling-driven approaches, radiomics-based methods are superior for being non-invasive, reproducible, cheaper, and less susceptible to intra-tumoral heterogeneity. This review focuses on the application of radiomics, combined with artificial intelligence, for delivering precision medicine in lung cancer treatment, with discussion centered on pioneering and groundbreaking works, and future research directions in the area.

Cerebrospinal fluid cytology findings in a case of diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumour.

This case report describes the cytological features of a rare tumour: diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumour. This case highlights the value of cerebrospinal fluid analysis when this type of tumour is suspected, both for aiding the preliminary morphological diagnosis and for enabling potential molecular testing.

Coexistence of two missense mutations in the KRAS gene in adenocarcinoma of the lung: a possible indicator of poor prognosis.

Background: KRAS mutations are present in up to 30% of patients with lung adenocarcinoma. The two most common KRAS mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are G12C (~40%) and G12V (~22%). We describe the case of a 63-year-old Asian male patient with a very aggressive lung adenocarcinoma harbouring two coexisting missense mutations in the same exon. Methods: The patient presented with a 6 cm spiculated lung mass and bilateral mediastinal lymphadenopathy on imaging. A cytology sample was obtained from EBUS-TBNA of mediastinal lymph nodes, and mutation screening was performed by next-generation sequencing using the Ion Torrent Cancer Hotspot panel. Results: Cytological examination and immunocytochemistry confirmed the presence of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. The molecular analysis revealed the coexistence of two missense mutations: c.34G > T; p.(Gly12Cys) and c.38G > T; A; p.(Gly13Asp) in exon 2 of the KRAS gene. The two independent variants were confirmed on Integrative Genomic Viewer (IGV), suggesting molecularly independent clones. The patient was treated with palliative care and died within two months of the diagnosis. Conclusions: The present case showed aggressive clinical behaviour. It is questionable whether this aggressive course was due to the coexistence of multiple mutations or to a specific single mutation. Data in the literature regarding the outcome of polyclonal KRAS polyclonal lung adenocarcinomas are scarce, but some evidence seems to indicate that specific mutations may have prognostic value, possibly depending on the disease setting.

Pulmonary mixed squamous and glandular papilloma: diagnostic challenges of a rare lesion when the clock is ticking. How to avoid interpretation mistakes.

Pulmonary mixed squamous and glandular papillomas (MSCGPs) are rare, benign neoplasms with peculiar clinical and histological features. However, on occasion, they can present certain characteristics that overlap with other neoplasms including carcinomas. Recognising these features is hence important for treatment purposes. Molecular studies can sometimes help in further characterisation, although they should not guide the diagnosis which ultimately relies on morphology.We report a challenging case of MSCGP with unusual features, received during intraoperative consultation. We highlight the subtle morphological features to help avoid overcalling a benign lesion as malignant.

Follicular dendritic cell tumour/sarcoma: a commonly misdiagnosed tumour in the thorax.

AIMS: Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma is a rare tumour reported to occur occasionally in association with the hyaline-vascular type of Castleman's disease (HVCD). Most cases arise in lymph nodes, although extranodal presentation is described. METHODS AND RESULTS: Clinical, radiological and histological characteristics, including diagnosis on pre-resection material, were assessed in seven intrathoracic cases from five males and two females with a median age of 38 years. Clinical symptoms were related to mass location, six cases presenting within central and/or posterior mediastinal compartments and one within the lungs. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography demonstrated marked fluoro-deoxy-glucose avidity and the prominent vessels traversing the lesions. Four of six cases (67%) were misdiagnosed initially. HVCD was present in three cases. Two cases with high mitotic rates recurred after resection. All were positive for at least one of the follicular dendritic cell markers (CD21, CD35 and CD23). Six of seven cases (86%) show cyclin D1 expression ranging from 5% to 90%. CONCLUSIONS: Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma is often misdiagnosed on biopsy and pathologists need to be aware of the tumour to request the relevant immunohistochemistry, especially in masses presenting in the central/posterior mediastinum with high vascularity and standardized uptake values. Background HVCD appears more common than previously thought.

Intravenous pyogenic granuloma of the right adrenal gland: report of a case.

Pyogenic granuloma (PG) is a tumor-like lesion that typically arises on human skin. Intravenous pyogenic granuloma (IVPG) is the vascular counterpart, mostly observed in the venous structures of the neck and upper extremities. Chronic irritation of the skin, traumatic injury, and hormonal alterations seem to be implicated in the pathogenesis of PG. The incidence of PG, and IVPG, is very low in the reported scientific literature, and this underlines the need for understanding unresolved questions concerning the uncommon presentation, and correct diagnosis before surgical intervention. This report describes a case of IVPG diagnosed in a 55-year-old female that presented for observation of chronic abdominal pain associated with nausea and anorexia. A well-defined mass located in the right adrenal gland was documented by ultrasonography and finally confirmed by contrast enhanced CT of the abdomen. There were no radiological signs of liver, kidney, or vascular infiltration. The 35 × 22 mm adrenal gland lesion, suspected to be an adrenal gland tumor, was resected using a minimally invasive approach. Laparoscopic right adrenalectomy was successfully performed. The histology documented the typical morphological features of IVPG in the context of a normal right adrenal gland. This report describes and discusses the unusual presentation of intraabdominal IVPG located in the adrenal gland region together with a review of the current literature.

Sarcoidosis following COVID infection: A case series.

Here we describe three cases of sarcoidosis which were diagnosed following COVID infection. Treating clinicians should consider post-COVID-19 sarcoidosis in their differential, as it represents a potentially treatable cause of persistent symptomatology.

A Novel Radiogenomics Biomarker for Predicting Treatment Response and Pneumotoxicity From Programmed Cell Death Protein or Ligand-1 Inhibition Immunotherapy in NSCLC.

INTRODUCTION: Patient selection for checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy is currently guided by programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression obtained from immunohistochemical staining of tumor tissue samples. This approach is susceptible to limitations resulting from the dynamic and heterogeneous nature of cancer cells and the invasiveness of the tissue sampling procedure. To address these challenges, we developed a novel computed tomography (CT) radiomic-based signature for predicting disease response in patients with NSCLC undergoing programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) or PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy. METHODS: This retrospective study comprises a total of 194 patients with suitable CT scans out of 340. Using the radiomic features computed from segmented tumors on a discovery set of 85 contrast-enhanced chest CTs of patients diagnosed with having NSCLC and their CD274 count, RNA expression of the protein-encoding gene for PD-L1, as the response vector, we developed a composite radiomic signature, lung cancer immunotherapy-radiomics prediction vector (LCI-RPV). This was validated in two independent testing cohorts of 66 and 43 patients with NSCLC treated with PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibition immunotherapy, respectively. RESULTS: LCI-RPV predicted PD-L1 positivity in both NSCLC testing cohorts (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.57-0.84 and AUC = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.46-0.94). In one cohort, it also demonstrated good prediction of cases with high PD-L1 expression exceeding key treatment thresholds (>50%: AUC = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.85 and >90%: AUC = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.45-0.88), the tumor's objective response to treatment at 3 months (AUC = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.52-0.85), and pneumonitis occurrence (AUC = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.48-0.80). LCI-RPV achieved statistically significant stratification of the patients into a high- and low-risk survival group (hazard ratio = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.21-4.24, p = 0.011 and hazard ratio = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.07-5.65, p = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: A CT radiomics-based signature developed from response vector CD274 can aid in evaluating patients' suitability for PD-1 or PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy in NSCLC.

Landscape of cancer biomarker testing in England following genomic services reconfiguration: insights from a nationwide pathologist survey.

AIMS: Cancer diagnostics have been evolving rapidly. In England, the new National Health Service Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) provides centralised access to genomic testing via seven regional Genomic Laboratory Hubs. The PATHways survey aimed to capture pathologists' experience with current diagnostic pathways and opportunities for optimisation to ensure equitable and timely access to biomarker testing. METHODS: A nationwide survey was conducted with consultant pathologists from regional laboratories, via direct interviews based on a structured questionnaire. Descriptive analysis of responses was undertaken using quantitative and qualitative methods. RESULTS: Fifteen regional centres completed the survey covering a median population size of 2.5 (1.9-3.6) million (each for n=12). The median estimated turnaround time (calendar days) for standard molecular markers in melanoma, breast and lung cancers ranged from 2 to 3 days by immunohistochemistry (excluding NTRKfus in breast and lung cancers, and PD-L1 in melanoma) and 6-15 days by real-time-PCR (excluding KIT for melanoma), to 17.5-24.5 days by next-generation sequencing (excluding PIK3CA for breast cancer). Tests were mainly initiated by pathologists and oncologists. All respondents discussed the results at multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings. The GMS roll-out was perceived to have high impact on services by 53% of respondents, citing logistical and technical issues. Enhanced education on new pathways, tissue requirements, report interpretation, providing patient information and best practice sharing was suggested for pathologists and other MDT members. CONCLUSION: Our survey highlighted the role of regional pathology within the evolving diagnostic landscape in England. Notable recommendations included improved communication and education, active stakeholder engagement, and tackling informatics barriers.

Association of Machine Learning-Based Assessment of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes on Standard Histologic Images With Outcomes of Immunotherapy in Patients With NSCLC.

Importance: Currently, predictive biomarkers for response to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in lung cancer are limited. Identifying such biomarkers would be useful to refine patient selection and guide precision therapy. Objective: To develop a machine-learning (ML)-based tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) scoring approach, and to evaluate TIL association with clinical outcomes in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter retrospective discovery-validation cohort study included 685 ICI-treated patients with NSCLC with median follow-up of 38.1 and 43.3 months for the discovery (n = 446) and validation (n = 239) cohorts, respectively. Patients were treated between February 2014 and September 2021. We developed an ML automated method to count tumor, stroma, and TIL cells in whole-slide hematoxylin-eosin-stained images of NSCLC tumors. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression were assessed separately, and clinical response to ICI therapy was determined by medical record review. Data analysis was performed from June 2021 to April 2022. Exposures: All patients received anti-PD-(L)1 monotherapy. Main Outcomes and Measures: Objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were determined by blinded medical record review. The area under curve (AUC) of TIL levels, TMB, and PD-L1 in predicting ICI response were calculated using ORR. Results: Overall, there were 248 (56%) women in the discovery cohort and 97 (41%) in the validation cohort. In a multivariable analysis, high TIL level (≥250 cells/mm2) was independently associated with ICI response in both the discovery (PFS: HR, 0.71; P = .006; OS: HR, 0.74; P = .03) and validation (PFS: HR = 0.80; P = .01; OS: HR = 0.75; P = .001) cohorts. Survival benefit was seen in both first- and subsequent-line ICI treatments in patients with NSCLC. In the discovery cohort, the combined models of TILs/PD-L1 or TMB/PD-L1 had additional specificity in differentiating ICI responders compared with PD-L1 alone. In the PD-L1 negative (<1%) subgroup, TIL levels had superior classification accuracy for ICI response (AUC = 0.77) compared with TMB (AUC = 0.65). Conclusions and Relevance: In these cohorts, TIL levels were robustly and independently associated with response to ICI treatment. Patient TIL assessment is relatively easily incorporated into the workflow of pathology laboratories at minimal additional cost, and may enhance precision therapy.

A diagnostic dilemma: dystrophic calcified nodule of the testicle in a patient with no other symptoms - case report and review of the literature.

Dystrophic calcified nodule of the testicle represents an exceptional lesion with an unknown etiology and controversial diagnostic approach. There are very few reports in the literature that have examined this feature. Here, we report the fourth case of dystrophic testis nodule, identified in a 46-year-old man who presented the urologist with a palpable mass on his left testicle and no other symptoms. Histopathological findings were discussed and pooled with those of all previously published series. We believe that this description is particularly innovative because of the absence of symptoms and testicular pain associated with the lesion, and interesting as an attempt to determine the recognition of this rare entity.

Bilateral mediastinal lymphadenopathy with cough and shortness of breath.

Silicosis and sarcoidosis have very similar radiological appearances and a thorough occupational history may be the only clue to the diagnosis https://bit.ly/3Usxcj7.

Coexpression of ΔNp63/p40 and TTF1 Within Most of the Same Individual Cells Identifies Life-Threatening NSCLC Featuring Squamous and Glandular Biphenotypic Differentiation: Clinicopathologic Correlations.

Introduction: Double occurrence of TTF1 and ΔNp63/p40 (henceforth, p40) within the same individual cells is exceedingly rare in lung cancer. Little is known on their biological and clinical implications. Methods: Two index cases immunoreactive for both p40 and TTF1 and nine tumors selected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) according to the mRNA levels of the two relevant genes entered the study. Results: The two index cases were peripherally located, poorly differentiated, and behaviorally unfavorable carcinomas, which shared widespread p40 and TTF1 decoration within the same individual tumor cells. They also retained SMARCA2 and SMARCA4 expression, while variably stained for p53, cytokeratin 5, and programmed death-ligand 1. A subset of basal cells p40+/TTF1+ could be found in normal distal airways. Biphenotypic glandular and squamous differentiation was unveiled by electron microscopy, along with EGFR, RAD51B, CCND3, or NF1 mutations and IGF1R, MYC, CCND1, or CDK2 copy number variations on next-generation sequencing analysis. The nine tumors from TCGA (0.88% of 1018 tumors) shared the same poor prognosis, clinical presentation, and challenging histology and had activated pathways of enhanced angiogenesis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Mutation and copy number variation profiles did not differ from the other TCGA tumors. Conclusions: Double p40+/TTF1+ lung carcinomas are aggressive and likely underrecognized non-small cell carcinomas, whose origin could reside in double-positive distal airway stem-like basal cells through either de novo-basal-like or differentiating cell mechanisms according to a model of epithelial renewal.

Histopathological findings and viral tropism in UK patients with severe fatal COVID-19: a post-mortem study.

BACKGROUND: Severe COVID-19 has a high mortality rate. Comprehensive pathological descriptions of COVID-19 are scarce and limited in scope. We aimed to describe the histopathological findings and viral tropism in patients who died of severe COVID-19. METHODS: In this case series, patients were considered eligible if they were older than 18 years, with premortem diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and COVID-19 listed clinically as the direct cause of death. Between March 1 and April 30, 2020, full post-mortem examinations were done on nine patients with confirmed COVID-19, including sampling of all major organs. A limited autopsy was done on one additional patient. Histochemical and immunohistochemical analyses were done, and histopathological findings were reported by subspecialist pathologists. Viral quantitative RT-PCR analysis was done on tissue samples from a subset of patients. FINDINGS: The median age at death of our cohort of ten patients was 73 years (IQR 52-79). Thrombotic features were observed in at least one major organ in all full autopsies, predominantly in the lung (eight [89%] of nine patients), heart (five [56%]), and kidney (four [44%]). Diffuse alveolar damage was the most consistent lung finding (all ten patients); however, organisation was noted in patients with a longer clinical course. We documented lymphocyte depletion (particularly CD8-positive T cells) in haematological organs and haemophagocytosis. Evidence of acute tubular injury was noted in all nine patients examined. Major unexpected findings were acute pancreatitis (two [22%] of nine patients), adrenal micro-infarction (three [33%]), pericarditis (two [22%]), disseminated mucormycosis (one [10%] of ten patients), aortic dissection (one [11%] of nine patients), and marantic endocarditis (one [11%]). Viral genomes were detected outside of the respiratory tract in four of five patients. The presence of subgenomic viral RNA transcripts provided evidence of active viral replication outside the respiratory tract in three of five patients. INTERPRETATION: Our series supports clinical data showing that the four dominant interrelated pathological processes in severe COVID-19 are diffuse alveolar damage, thrombosis, haemophagocytosis, and immune cell depletion. Additionally, we report here several novel autopsy findings including pancreatitis, pericarditis, adrenal micro-infarction, secondary disseminated mucormycosis, and brain microglial activation, which require additional investigation to understand their role in COVID-19. FUNDING: Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Wellcome Trust, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

Interobserver Variation among Pathologists and Refinement of Criteria in Distinguishing Separate Primary Tumors from Intrapulmonary Metastases in Lung.

Multiple tumor nodules are seen with increasing frequency in clinical practice. On the basis of the 2015 WHO classification of lung tumors, we assessed the reproducibility of the comprehensive histologic assessment to distinguish second primary lung cancers (SPLCs) from intrapulmonary metastases (IPMs), looking for the most distinctive histologic features. An international panel of lung pathologists reviewed a scanned sequential cohort of 126 tumors from 48 patients and recorded an agreed set of histologic features, including tumor typing and predominant pattern of adenocarcinoma, thereby opining whether the case was SPLC, IPM, or a combination thereof. Cohen κ statistics of 0.60 on overall assessment of SPLC or IPM indicated a good agreement. Likewise, there was good agreement (κ score 0.64, p < 0.0001) between WHO histologic pattern in individual cases and SPLC or IPM status, but the proportions diversified for histologic pattern and SPLC or IPM status (McNemar test, p < 0.0001). The strongest associations for distinguishing between SPLC and IPM were observed for nuclear pleomorphism, cell size, acinus formation, nucleolar size, mitotic rate, nuclear inclusions, intraalveolar clusters, and necrosis. Conversely, the associations for lymphocytosis, mucin content, lepidic growth, vascular invasion, macrophage response, clear cell change, acute inflammation keratinization, and emperipolesis did not reach significance with tumor extent. Comprehensive histologic assessment is recommended for distinguishing SPLC from IPM with good reproducibility among lung pathologists. In addition to main histologic type and predominant patterns of histologic subtypes, nuclear pleomorphism, cell size, acinus formation, nucleolar size, and mitotic rate strongly correlate with pathologic staging status.

A Validation Study for the Use of ROS1 Immunohistochemical Staining in Screening for ROS1 Translocations in Lung Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The presence of ROS proto-oncogene 1, receptor tyrosine kinase gene (ROS1) rearrangements in lung cancers confers sensitivity to ROS kinase inhibitors, including crizotinib. However, they are rare abnormalities (in ∼1% of non-small cell lung carcinomas) that are typically identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and so screening using immunohistochemical (IHC) staining would be both cost- and time-efficient. METHODS: A cohort of lung tumors negative for other common mutations related to targeted therapies were screened to assess the sensitivity and specificity of IHC staining in detecting ROS1 gene rearrangements, enriched by four other cases first identified by FISH. A review of published data was also undertaken. RESULTS: IHC staining was 100% sensitive (95% confidence interval: 48-100) and 83% specific (95% confidence interval: 86-100) overall when an h-score higher than 100 was used. Patients with ROS1 gene rearrangements were younger and typically never-smokers, with the tumors all being adenocarcinomas with higher-grade architectural features and focal signet ring morphologic features (two of five). Four patients treated with crizotinib showed a partial response, with three also showing a partial response to pemetrexed. Three of four patients remain alive at 13, 27, and 31 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: IHC staining can be used to screen for ROS1 gene rearrangements, with patients herein showing a response to crizotinib. Patients with tumors that test positive according to IHC staining but negative according to FISH were also identified, which may have implications for treatment selection.

The pioneer factor PBX1 is a novel driver of metastatic progression in ERα-positive breast cancer.

Over 30% of ERα breast cancer patients develop relapses and progress to metastatic disease despite treatment with endocrine therapies. The pioneer factor PBX1 translates epigenetic cues and mediates estrogen induced ERα binding. Here we demonstrate that PBX1 plays a central role in regulating the ERα transcriptional response to epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling. PBX1 regulates a subset of EGF-ERα genes highly expressed in aggressive breast tumours. Retrospective stratification of luminal patients using PBX1 protein levels in primary cancer further demonstrates that elevated PBX1 protein levels correlate with earlier metastatic progression. In agreement, PBX1 protein levels are significantly upregulated during metastatic progression in ERα-positive breast cancer patients. Finally we reveal that PBX1 upregulation in aggressive tumours is partly mediated by genomic amplification of the PBX1 locus. Correspondingly, ERα-positive breast cancer patients carrying PBX1 amplification are characterized by poor survival. Notably, we demonstrate that PBX1 amplification can be identified in tumor derived-circulating free DNA of ERα-positive metastatic patients. Metastatic patients with PBX1 amplification are also characterized by shorter relapse-free survival. Our data identifies PBX1 amplification as a functional hallmark of aggressive ERα-positive breast cancers. Mechanistically, PBX1 amplification impinges on several critical pathways associated with aggressive ERα-positive breast cancer.