Is histologic differentiation a prognostic indicator for gastric carcinoma patients with curative resection.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic relevance of histologic differentiation in gastric carcinoma patients with curative resection is unclear. We analyzed the clinicopathologic features of gastric carcinoma patients with curative resection according to the histologic differentiation and evaluated surgical outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of 1198 gastric carcinoma patients with curative resection (American joint committee on cancer, Stages I‑III), 274 (22.9%) had well‑differentiated, 331 (27.6%) had moderately differentiated and 593 (49.5%) had poorly differentiated gastric carcinomas. RESULTS: Patients with the poorly differentiated type had more prominent serosal invasion, much more lymph node involvement and more advanced stage than patients with the well‑differentiated type. The overall survival rate was higher for patients with a well‑differentiated gastric carcinoma than for patients with a poorly differentiated type. Using Cox’s proportional hazard regression model, histologic differentiation was found to be a statistically significant prognostic parameter (risk ratio, 1.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.028‑1.922; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that patients with a well‑differentiated gastric carcinoma have a good prognosis compared with those with a poorly differentiated type. Therefore, histologic differentiation can be used as a prognostic indicator in gastric carcinoma patients with curative resection.

Diagnostic Utility of the JAZF1/JJAZ1 Gene Fusion in Endometrial Stromal Sarcomas and Their Histologic Variants

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) is often difficult in cases showing diverse histological differentiation or in undifferentiated endometrial sarcoma (UES). Recently, JAZF1/JJAZ1 gene fusion has been described as a defining feature of low-grade ESS (LGESS). However, its prevalence is variably reported, and the diagnostic utility has rarely been examined for cases showing various histological differentiation. METHODS: To test the diagnostic utility of JAZF1/JJAZ1 gene fusion in difficult cases, we compared the prevalence of the JAZF1/JJAZ1 fusion gene in LGESS with and without histological differentiation. RESULTS: The JAZF1/JJAZ1 fusion transcript was detected in 18 of 21 LGESS (85.7%), including 14 classical LGESS (93%), four LGESS with diverse histological differentiation (67%), and two with UES (28.6%). Positive cases included two LGESS with sex cord-like differentiation, one with osseous differentiation, and two UES. LGESS showing smooth muscle differentiation revealed the fusion transcript only in the classic area. Direct sequencing analysis of two LGESS revealed a previously reported breakpoint at t(7;17)(p15;q21). CONCLUSIONS: The JAZF1/JJAZ1 fusion gene was identified in a significant proportion of LGESS showing secondary histological differentiation except in cases with smooth muscle differentiation. Thus, this fusion gene may be useful to confirm the diagnosis in difficult cases of LGESS.

Correlation between Histologic Differentiation and Prognosis of Prostate Adenocarcinoma

The authors reviewed clinical data and 50 pathologic specimens from 41 patients of prostate adenocarcinoma filed in the Department of Pathology, Hanyang University school of Medicine, in order to evaluate correlation between clinical stages and histopathologic grades of prostate adenocarcinoma. Each of five currently used grading systems were compared with clinical stages of prostate adenocarcinomas. The followings results were obtained: All of the grading systems were relatively well correlated with clinical progression of the tumon. Histologic grading systems including Gleason's grading system, Gleasons scoring system and M.D. Anderson system showed better correlation than cytologic grading system of Mostofi. Gaeta gradings system regarding both histologic and cytologic aspects of the carcinoma showed good correlation to clinical stage with correlation coefficient of 0.654. Combined scoring system of cytologic and histologic grades (Mostofi-M.D. Anderson combined scoring system) showed better correlation to the clinical stage than single individual grading s system. The author conclued that Gleasons histologic grading system with cytologic characteristics of tumor cells would represent best parameter of clinical progression of the prostate adenocarcinoma.