Histopathologic image-based deep learning classifier for predicting platinum-based treatment responses in high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

Platinum-based chemotherapy is the cornerstone treatment for female high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC), but choosing an appropriate treatment for patients hinges on their responsiveness to it. Currently, no available biomarkers can promptly predict responses to platinum-based treatment. Therefore, we developed the Pathologic Risk Classifier for HGSOC (PathoRiCH), a histopathologic image-based classifier. PathoRiCH was trained on an in-house cohort (n = 394) and validated on two independent external cohorts (n = 284 and n = 136). The PathoRiCH-predicted favorable and poor response groups show significantly different platinum-free intervals in all three cohorts. Combining PathoRiCH with molecular biomarkers provides an even more powerful tool for the risk stratification of patients. The decisions of PathoRiCH are explained through visualization and a transcriptomic analysis, which bolster the reliability of our model's decisions. PathoRiCH exhibits better predictive performance than current molecular biomarkers. PathoRiCH will provide a solid foundation for developing an innovative tool to transform the current diagnostic pipeline for HGSOC.

Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Level Consistently Correlates with Lower Stiffness Measured by Shear-Wave Elastography: Subtype-Specific Analysis of Its Implication in Breast Cancer.

Background: We aimed to elucidate the clinical significance of tumor stiffness across breast cancer subtypes and establish its correlation with the tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) levels using shear-wave elastography (SWE). Methods: SWE was used to measure tumor stiffness in breast cancer patients from January 2016 to August 2020. The association of tumor stiffness and clinicopathologic parameters, including the TIL levels, was analyzed in three breast cancer subtypes. Results: A total of 803 patients were evaluated. Maximal elasticity (Emax) showed a consistent positive association with an invasive size and the pT stage in all cases, while it negatively correlated with the TIL level. A subgroup-specific analysis revealed that the already known parameters for high stiffness (lymphovascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, Ki67 levels) were significant only in hormone receptor-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer (HR + HER2-BC). In the multivariate logistic regression, an invasive size and low TIL levels were significantly associated with Emax in HR + HER2-BC and HER2 + BC. In triple-negative breast cancer, only TIL levels were significantly associated with low Emax. Linear regression confirmed a consistent negative correlation between TIL and Emax in all subtypes. Conclusions: Breast cancer stiffness presents varying clinical implications dependent on the tumor subtype. Elevated stiffness indicates a more aggressive tumor biology in HR + HER2-BC, but is less significant in other subtypes. High TIL levels consistently correlate with lower tumor stiffness across all subtypes.

YAP1 Expression in HR+HER2- Breast Cancer: 21-Gene Recurrence Score Analysis and Public Dataset Validation.

BACKGROUND: YAP1, an oncogene in numerous cancers, is a downstream transcription factor of the Hippo pathway. This study focuses on its relationship with the Oncotype Dx (ODX) test risk score (RS) in patients with hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative (HR+HER2-) breast cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 401 HR+HER2- breast cancer patients from Gangnam Severance Hospital who underwent ODX tests (May 2014-April 2020). YAP1 nuclear localization was evaluated via immunohistochemical staining and its clinical correlation with clinicopathological parameters, including RS, was analyzed. Public datasets TCGA-BRCA and METABRIC validated clinical outcomes. RESULTS: YAP1 expression negatively correlated with ODX RS (OR 0.373, p = 0.002). Elevated YAP1 mRNA levels corresponded to better clinical outcomes, specifically in ER-positive patients, with significant results in METABRIC and TCGA-BRCA datasets (p < 0.0001 OS in METABRIC, p = 0.00085 RFS in METABRIC, p = 0.040 DFS in TCGA-BRCA). In subsets with varying ESR1 mRNA expression and pronounced YAP1 expression, superior survival outcomes were consistently observed. CONCLUSION: YAP1 may be a valuable prognostic marker and potential therapeutic target in HR+HER2- breast cancer patients.

Comparison of Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 Status between Core Needle Biopsy and Surgical Specimens of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE: Pembrolizumab is currently used to treat advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and high-risk early TNBC with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). The tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) level and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) status are predictors of response to NAC and immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment. We aimed to investigate whether the PD-L1 status in core needle biopsies (CNBs) could represent the whole tumor in TNBC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 49 patients diagnosed with TNBC who received upfront surgery without NAC between January 2018 and March 2021 were included. The PD-L1 expression (SP142 and 22C3 clones) and TIL were evaluated in paired CNBs and resected specimens. The concordance PD-L1 status and TIL levels between CNBs and resected specimens were analyzed. RESULTS: PD-L1 positivity was more frequently observed in resected specimens. The overall reliability of TIL level in the CNB was good [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)=0.847, p<0.001]. The agreements of PD-L1 status were good and fair, respectively (SP142, κ=0.503, p<0.001; 22C3, κ=0.380, p=0.010). As the core number of CNB increased, the reliability and agreement also improved, especially from five tumor cores (TIL, ICC=0.911, p<0.001; PD-L1 [22C3], κ=0.750, p=0.028). Regarding PD-L1 (SP142), no further improvement was observed with ≥5 tumor cores (κ=0.600, p=0.058). CONCLUSION: CNBs with ≥5 tumor cores were sufficient to represent the TIL level and PD-L1 (22C3) status in TNBC.

18F-FDG uptake of visceral adipose tissue on preoperative PET/CT as a predictive marker for breast cancer recurrence.

Glucose utilization by visceral adipose tissue (VAT) reflects inflammatory activity, which also promotes tumor growth and carcinogenesis. The effect of metabolically active VAT on survival outcomes in breast cancer is unknown. We investigated survival outcomes in patients with breast cancer based on the standardized uptake value (SUV) of VAT (SUVmean-VAT) using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT). A total of 148 patients with breast cancer were divided into high- and low groups according to their SUVmean-VAT and SUVmax-tumor. Clinical characteristics and survival outcomes were compared between the groups. High SUVmean-VAT was associated with poor recurrence-free survival (RFS; hazard ratio [HR], 2.754; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.090-6.958, p = 0.032) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS; HR, 3.500; 95% CI, 1.224-10.01, p = 0.019). Multivariate analysis showed that high SUVmean-VAT was a significant factor for poor RFS and poor DMFS (p = 0.023 and 0.039, respectively). High SUVmax-tumor was significantly associated with short RFS (p = 0.0388). Tumors with a high SUV tended to have a short DMFS, although the difference was not significant (p = 0.0718). Our findings showed that upregulated glucose metabolism in the VAT measured using 18F-FDG PET/CT may be a prognostic biomarker for adverse outcomes in breast cancer.

Residual Tumor Patterns of Breast Cancer on MRI after Neo-Adjuvant Chemotherapy: Impact on Clinicopathologic Factors and Prognosis.

(1) Background: Residual breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) could have a variable image pattern on a follow-up breast magnetic resonance image (MRI). In this study, we compared the clinical outcome of breast cancer patients with different residual tumor patterns (RTP) on a breast MRI after NAC. (2) Methods: A total of 91 patients with breast cancer who received NAC and subsequent curative surgery were selected. All included patient had residual breast cancer after NAC and showed a partial response on a breast MRI. Pre- and post-treatment were reviewed by an experienced radiologist to evaluate different RTP, and classified into two groups: concentric and scattered patterns. The clinicopathologic parameters and survival outcomes [recurrence-free survival (RFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS)] were analyzed according to different RTP. (3) Results: Patients with a scattered pattern had a larger extent of pre-treated non-mass enhancement and more frequently received total mastectomy. With a median follow-up period of 37 months, RTP were not significantly associated with RFS or DMFS. (4) Conclusions: In the patients with residual breast cancer after NAC, RTP on an MRI had no effect on the patients' clinical outcome. The curative resection of the tumor bed and securing the negative resection margins appear to be important in the treatment of patients with residual breast cancer after NAC.

Correlation of Yes-Associated Protein 1 with Stroma Type and Tumor Stiffness in Hormone-Receptor Positive Breast Cancer.

(1) Background: Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) is an oncogene activated under the dysregulated Hippo pathway. YAP1 is also a mechanotransducer that is activated by matrix stiffness. So far, there are no in vivo studies on YAP1 expression related to stiffness. We aimed to investigate the association between YAP1 activation and tumor stiffness in human breast cancer samples, using immunohistochemistry and shear-wave elastography (SWE). (2) Methods: We included 488 patients with treatment-naïve breast cancer. Tumor stiffness was measured and the mean, maximal, and minimal elasticity values and elasticity ratios were recorded. Nuclear YAP1 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs); tumor-stroma ratio (TSR) and stroma type of tumors were also evaluated. (3) Results: Tumor stiffness was higher in tumors with YAP1 positivity, low TILs, and high TSR and was correlated with nuclear YAP1 expression; this correlation was observed in hormone receptor positive (HR+) tumors, as well as in tumors with non-collagen-type stroma. (4) Conclusions: We confirmed the correlation between nuclear YAP1 expression and tumor stiffness, and nuclear YAP1 expression was deemed a prognostic candidate in HR+ tumors combined with SWE-measured tumor stiffness.

SP142 PD-L1 Assays in Multiple Samples from the Same Patients with Early or Advanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE: The discernible PD-L1 staining of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes occupying ≥ 1% of the tumor area is considered SP142 PD-L1 positive for atezolizumab, and the PD-L1 status of multiple samples within a single patient could be discrepant. In this study, we evaluated the PD-L1 status by using the SP142 clone in serially collected matched samples from the same individuals with early or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). METHOD: the SP142 PD-L1 assay was performed using biopsies and surgical specimens from 77 patients with early TNBC. Among these patients, 47 underwent upfront surgery, and 30 underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) between biopsy and surgery. PD-L1 assays were performed at least twice in 8/12 (66.7%) patients with metastatic TNBC treated with atezolizumab and nab-paclitaxel. RESULTS: Of the 47 patients who underwent upfront surgery, 15/47 (31.9%) had PD-L1+ on biopsied samples. PD-L1+ rates in the biopsy and surgical specimens increased to 66.0% (33 of 47) after subsequent surgery. Similarly, in the 30 patients with residual invasive cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the PD-L1+ rate increased from 46.6% at baseline to 74.2% after surgery. In the 77 patients with early TNBC, multiple PD-L1 testing in the biopsies and surgical specimens significantly increased the number of patients with PD-L1+ compared with the number of patients with PD-L1+ assessed with initial biopsy samples alone (68.8% vs. 37.6%; p = 0.00002). Among the metastatic TNBC patients, those with constant PD-L1+ over 1% positivity in multiple samples showed a response which was longer than 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal the heterogeneous SP142 PD-L1 expression in TNBC and suggest that PD-L1 evaluation in baseline biopsy might be insufficient to represent the PD-L1 status of whole tumors. In TNBC, vigorous PD-L1 examination using multiple available tumor samples could identify more patients eligible for immune checkpoint blockade.

Prognostic significance of viable tumor size measurement in hepatocellular carcinomas after preoperative locoregional treatment.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative locoregional treatment (LRT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) often induces intratumoral necrosis without affecting the overall tumor size, and residual viable tumor size (VTS) on imaging is an important clinical parameter for assessing post-treatment response. However, for surgical specimens, it is unclear whether the VTS would be more relevant to prognosis compared to total tumor size (TTS). METHODS: A total of 142 surgically resected solitary HCC cases were retrospectively reviewed. The TTS and VTS were assessed by applying the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors method to the resected specimens, and correlated with the clinicopathological features and survival. RESULTS: As applying VTS, 13/142 cases (9.2%) were down-staged to ypT1a. Although the survival analysis results for overall survival according to TTS or VTS were similar, VTS was superior to predict disease-free survival (DFS; p = .023) compared to TTS (p = .08). In addition, multivariate analysis demonstrated VTS > 2 cm to be an independent predictive factor for decreased DFS (p = .001). In the subpopulation of patients with LRT (n = 54), DFS in HCCs with TTS or VTS > 2 cm were significantly shorter than those with TTS or VTS ≤ 2 cm (p = .047 and p = .001, respectively). Interestingly, HCCs with TTS > 2 cm but down-staged to VTS ≤ 2 cm after preoperative LRT had similar survival to those with TTS ≤ 2 cm. CONCLUSIONS: Although the prognostic impact of tumor size was similar regardless of whether TTS or VTS was applied, reporting VTS may help to increase the number of candidates for surgery in HCC patients with preoperative LRT.

The Clinicopathological Significance of YAP/TAZ Expression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Relation to Hypoxia and Stemness.

Background/Aims: Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) activation has been implicated in hepatocarcinogenesis and hepatic progenitor cell differentiation, and hypoxia has been shown to induce nuclear translocation of YAP in cancer cells. Here, we aimed to investigate the relationship between hypoxia, YAP and TAZ expression and stemness-related marker expression in human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and its clinical implications. Methods: Immunohistochemical stains were performed on tissue microarrays from 305 surgically resected HCCs, and the expression status of YAP and TAZ were correlated with CAIX, stemness markers (K19, EpCAM) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related markers (uPAR, ezrin). The clinicopathological significance of YAP/TAZ expression was analyzed with relation to CAIX expression status. Results: YAP and TAZ expression were seen in 13.4 and 4.3% of HCCs, respectively. YAP/TAZ-positive HCCs frequently demonstrated higher serum AFP levels, microvascular invasion, advanced tumor stage, increased proliferative activity and expression of stemness- and EMT-related markers, CAIX, p53 and Smad2/3 (p < 0.05, all). Interestingly, YAP/TAZ-positivity was associated with microvascular invasion, higher serum AFP levels, stemness and EMT-related marker expression only in tumors expressing CAIX (p < 0.05, all), while these associations were not seen in CAIX-negative HCCs. Conclusions: YAP/TAZ expression is associated with vascular invasion, stemness and EMT in HCCs with hypoxia marker expression. The effect of Hippo signaling pathway deregulation in HCC may depend on the presence or absence of a hypoxic microenvironment, and hypoxia marker expression status should be taken into account when considering the use of YAP/TAZ as markers of aggressive biologic behavior in HCC.

The Clinicopathological and Prognostic Significance of Nrf2 and Keap1 Expression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Nuclear factor E2-related factor2 (Nrf2) activation is associated with both cytoprotective effects and malignant behavior of cancer cells. This study aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological implications of the expression of Nrf2, pNrf2, and its regulator Keap1 in human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). Tissue microarrays consisting of 285 surgically resected HCCs were immunohistochemically stained with pNrf2, Nrf2, Keap1, stemness-related markers (keratin 19 (K19), epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)), carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX), epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related markers (ezrin, uPAR, E-cadherin), and p53, and the results were correlated with the clinicopathological features. pNrf2 expression was significantly associated with increased proliferative activity, as well as EpCAM, ezrin, p53, and CAIX expression and E-cadherin loss (p < 0.05, all). Strong cytoplasmic Nrf2 expression was associated with CAIX and ezrin expression (p < 0.05, both). Keap1 was associated with increased proliferative activity, portal vein invasion, EMT-related markers, and p53 expression in CAIX-negative HCCs (p < 0.05, all). Both pNrf2 and cytoplasmic Nrf2 expression were associated with decreased overall survival (p < 0.05, both), and cytoplasmic Nrf2 expression was an independent predictor of decreased overall survival on multivariate analysis (hazard ratio 4.15, p < 0.001). Both pNrf2 and cytoplasmic Nrf2 expression were associated with poor survival and aggressive behavior of HCC. In addition, Keap1 expression was also associated with aggressive HCC behavior in CAIX-negative HCCs, suggesting that Keap1 expression should be interpreted in the context of hypoxia status.

Case Report of Urinary Schistosomiasis in a Returned Traveler in Korea.

A 23-year-old Korean woman with a residence history in Kenya and Malawi for about 2 years presented with gross hematuria for 1 month. Blood tests were within normal range except eosinophilia. Asymmetrically diffuse wall thickening and calcification were observed at the urinary bladder on CT. Multiple erythematous nodular lesions were observed in the cystoscopy and transurethral resection was done. Numerous eggs of Schistosoma haematobium with granulomatous inflammation were observed in the submucosal layer of the bladder. The patient was diagnosed with schistosomiasis-related cystitis and treated with praziquantel (40 mg/kg/day) twice before and after transurethral resection. This case suggests that S. haematobium infection should be considered as a cause of hematuria in Korea when the patient had a history of traveling endemic areas of schistosomiasis.

Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression in extrahepatic biliary tract cancers: a comparative study using 22C3, SP263 and E1L3N anti-PD-L1 antibodies.

AIMS: Pembrolizumab has shown promising results for patients with programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1)-positive advanced biliary tract cancer in an ongoing clinical trial. However, data on PD-L1 expression in bile duct cancers is limited, and the frequency of PD-L1 positivity varies, which may be partly due to the assay used. The aim of this study was to evaluate PD-L1 expression status in bile duct cancers by using 22C3, SP263 and E1L3N antibodies. METHODS AND RESULTS: We evaluated PD-L1 expression in tissue microarrays of 183 extrahepatic bile duct cancers, including 89 perihilar and 94 distal bile duct cancers, by using 22C3, SP263 and E1L3N. When the 22C3 assay was used, tumoral PD-L1 was shown to be expressed in 16.9% of cases at a 1% threshold. When the SP263 and E1L3N assays were used, tumoral PD-L1 was shown to be expressed in 26% and 7.1% of cases, respectively. When whole tissue sections were examined, 59.6% of PD-L1-positive cases showed a low percentage (<10%) of positive tumour cells. Tumoral PD-L1 positivity was associated with poor histological differentiation (P = 0.017) and the biliary epithelial phenotype (P = 0.041). High tumoral PD-L1 expression (≥10%) was associated with worse overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) (OS, P = 0.012; DFS, P = 0.042). CONCLUSIONS: PD-L1 was expressed in a small subset of patients with bile duct cancer, and the percentage of positive tumour cells was low in PD-L1-positive cases. The SP263 assay showed the highest PD-L1 positivity in both tumour cells and immune cells, followed by the 22C3 and E1L3N assays. High PD-L1 expression was associated with a poor prognosis in extrahepatic bile duct cancer patients.

The Clinicopathological and Prognostic Significance of the Gross Classification of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to determine the clinicopathological significance of the gross classification of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) according to the Korean Liver Cancer Association (KLCA) guidelines. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 242 cases of consecutively resected solitary primary HCC between 2003 and 2012 at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. The gross classification (vaguely nodular [VN], expanding nodular [EN], multinodular confluent [MC], nodular with perinodular extension [NP], and infiltrative [INF]) was reviewed for all cases, and were correlated with various clinicopathological features and the expression status of "stemness"-related (cytokeratin 19 [CK19], epithelial cell adhesion molecule [EpCAM]), and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related (urokinase plasminogen activator receptor [uPAR] and Ezrin) markers. RESULTS: Significant differences were seen in overall survival (p=.015) and disease-free survival (p = .034) according to the gross classification; INF type showed the worst prognosis while VN and EN types were more favorable. When the gross types were simplified into two groups, type 2 HCCs (MC/NP/INF) were more frequently larger and poorly differentiated, and showed more frequent microvascular and portal venous invasion, intratumoral fibrous stroma and higher pT stages compared to type 1 HCCs (EN/VN) (p<.05, all). CK19, EpCAM, uPAR, and ezrin expression was more frequently seen in type 2 HCCs (p<.05, all). Gross classification was an independent predictor of both overall and disease-free survival by multivariate analysis (overall survival: p=.030; hazard ratio, 4.118; 95% confidence interval, 1.142 to 14.844; disease-free survival: p=.016; hazard ratio, 1.617; 95% confidence interval, 1.092 to 2.394). CONCLUSIONS: The gross classification of HCC had significant prognostic value and type 2 HCCs were associated with clinicopathological features of aggressive behavior, increased expression of "stemness"- and EMT-related markers, and decreased survival.

Combination immunohistochemistry for SMAD4 and Runt-related transcription factor 3 may identify a favorable prognostic subgroup of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas.

PURPOSES: SMAD4/DPC4 mutations have been associated with aggressive behavior in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC), and it has recently been suggested that RUNX3 expression combined with SMAD4 status may predict the metastatic potential of PDACs. We evaluated the prognostic utility of SMAD4/RUNX3 status in human PDACs by immunohistochemistry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical stains were performed for SMAD4 and RUNX3 on 210 surgically resected PDACs, and the results were correlated with the clinicopathological features. RESULTS: Loss of SMAD4 expression was associated with poor overall survival (OS) (p = 0.015) and progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.044). Nuclear RUNX3 expression was associated with decreased OS (p = 0.010) and PFS (p = 0.009), and more frequent in poorly differentiated PDACs (p = 0.037). On combining RUNX3/SMAD4 status, RUNX3-/SMAD4+ PDACs demonstrated longer OS (p = 0.008, median time; RUNX3-/SMAD4+ 34 months, others 17 months) and PFS (p = 0.009, median time; RUNX3-/SMAD4+ 29 months, others 8 months) compared to RUNX3+/SMAD4+ and SMAD4- groups; RUNX3-/SMAD4+ was a significant independent predictive factor for both OS [p = 0.025, HR 1.842 (95% CI 1.079-3.143)] and PFS [p = 0.020, HR 1.850 (95% CI 1.100-3.113)]. CONCLUSIONS: SMAD4-positivity with RUNX3-negativity was a significant independent predictive factor for favorable OS and PFS in PDAC. This is the first and large clinicopathological study of RUNX3/SMAD4 expression status in human PDAC. Combination immunohistochemistry for SMAD4 and RUNX3 may help identify a favorable prognostic subgroup of PDAC.

The prognostic significance of cancer-associated fibroblasts in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts are abundant in the desmoplastic stroma of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas and are considered to play important roles in tumor progression. In this study, we investigated the expression status of secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine, periostin, fibroblast-activated protein, and the newly developed proCOL11A1 antibody in the stroma of surgically resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas and their prognostic implications. Tissue microarrays were constructed from 155 surgically resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas and paired non-neoplastic pancreata and from another independent set of 48 normal/benign pancreata, and immunohistochemical stains were performed for proCOL11A1, fibroblast-activated protein, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine, and periostin. The immunohistochemical stain results were correlated with clinicopathological features and survival data. proCOL11A1, fibroblast-activated protein, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine, and periostin expression was significantly increased in the intratumoral stroma of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas compared to paired non-neoplastic pancreata (proCOL11A1: 145/155 (93.5%) vs 26/154 (16.9%); fibroblast-activated protein: 139/143 (97.2%) vs 82/132 (62.1%); secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine: 113/150 (75.3%) vs 49/132 (37.1%); periostin: 135/151 (89.4%) vs 45/135 (33.3%); p < 0.001, all). While the four markers were expressed at lower levels in normal/benign pancreata, there were no significant differences in the expression frequencies among normal pancreas, acute pancreatitis, and chronic pancreatitis. Interestingly, on survival analysis, low intratumoral fibroblast-activated protein+ cancer-associated fibroblast counts (<100/high-power field) were associated with a significantly reduced overall survival compared to those with high fibroblast-activated protein+ cancer-associated fibroblast counts (p = 0.010; hazard ratio 5.2 (95% confidence interval 1.3-21.3)). Similar patterns were seen for proCOL11A and secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine and overall and disease-free survival, although not statistically significant. In conclusion, we demonstrate that the presence of cancer-associated fibroblasts in the tumor stroma may not always be associated with a poor prognosis as suggested in many studies; on the contrary, it may even be associated with prolonged survival, supporting the recent experimental findings that tumor stroma may have a protective role rather than enhance aggressive behavior.

A comparison of Ki-67 counting methods in luminal Breast Cancer: The Average Method vs. the Hot Spot Method.

In spite of the usefulness of the Ki-67 labeling index (LI) as a prognostic and predictive marker in breast cancer, its clinical application remains limited due to variability in its measurement and the absence of a standard method of interpretation. This study was designed to compare the two methods of assessing Ki-67 LI: the average method vs. the hot spot method and thus to determine which method is more appropriate in predicting prognosis of luminal/HER2-negative breast cancers. Ki-67 LIs were calculated by direct counting of three representative areas of 493 luminal/HER2-negative breast cancers using the two methods. We calculated the differences in the Ki-67 LIs (ΔKi-67) between the two methods and the ratio of the Ki-67 LIs (H/A ratio) of the two methods. In addition, we compared the performance of the Ki-67 LIs obtained by the two methods as prognostic markers. ΔKi-67 ranged from 0.01% to 33.3% and the H/A ratio ranged from 1.0 to 2.6. Based on the receiver operating characteristic curve method, the predictive powers of the KI-67 LI measured by the two methods were similar (Area under curve: hot spot method, 0.711; average method, 0.700). In multivariate analysis, high Ki-67 LI based on either method was an independent poor prognostic factor, along with high T stage and node metastasis. However, in repeated counts, the hot spot method did not consistently classify tumors into high vs. low Ki-67 LI groups. In conclusion, both the average and hot spot method of evaluating Ki-67 LI have good predictive performances for tumor recurrence in luminal/HER2-negative breast cancers. However, we recommend using the average method for the present because of its greater reproducibility.

Prognostic significance of centromere 17 copy number gain in breast cancer depends on breast cancer subtype.

Increased copy number of chromosome enumeration probe (CEP) targeting centromere 17 is frequently encountered during HER2 in situ hybridization (ISH) in breast cancer. The aim of this study was to clarify the clinicopathologic significance of CEP17 copy number gain in a relatively large series of breast cancer patients. We analyzed 945 cases of invasive breast cancers whose HER2 fluorescence ISH reports were available from 2004 to 2011 at a single institution and evaluated the association of CEP17 copy number gain with clinicopathologic features of tumors and patient survival. We detected 186 (19.7%) cases of CEP17 copy number gain (CEP17≥3.0) among 945 invasive breast cancers. In survival analysis, CEP17 copy number gain was not associated with disease-free survival of the patients in the whole group. Nonetheless, it was found to be an independent adverse prognostic factor in the HER2-negative group but not in the HER2-positive group. In further subgroup analyses, CEP17 copy number gain was revealed as an independent poor prognostic factor in HER2-negative and hormone receptor-positive breast cancers, and it was associated with aggressive histologic variables including high T stage, high histologic grade, lymphovascular invasion, p53 overexpression, and high Ki-67 proliferative index. In conclusion, we found that elevated CEP17 count can serve as a prognostic marker in luminal/HER2-negative subtype of invasive breast cancer. We advocate the use of the dual-colored fluorescence ISH using CEP17 rather than the single-colored one because it gives additional valuable information on CEP17 copy number alterations.