Profiling of Tumour-Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Tumour-Associated Macrophages in Ovarian Epithelial Cancer-Relation to Tumour Characteristics and Impact on Prognosis.

Early evidence suggests a strong impact of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) on both the prognosis and clinical behaviour of ovarian cancer. Proven associations, however, have not yet translated to successful immunotherapies and further work in the field is urgently needed. We aimed to analyse the tumour microenvironment of a well-characterised cohort of ovarian cancer samples. Tumour markers were selected owing to their comparative underrepresentation in the current literature. Paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed tumour tissue blocks of 138 patients representative of the population and including early stage disease were identified, stained for CD3, CD20, CD68 and CD163 and analysed for both the stromal and intertumoral components. Data were statistically analysed in relation to clinical details, histological subtype, borderline vs. malignant status, survival and management received. Mean stromal CD3, total CD3 count, mean stromal CD20 and total CD20 count all correlated negatively with survival. Malignant ovarian tumours consistently demonstrated significantly higher infiltration of all analysed immune cells than borderline tumours. Assessment of the stromal compartment produced a considerably higher proportion of significant results when compared to the intra-tumoural infiltrates. Customary assessment of solely intra-tumoural cells in advanced stage disease patients undergoing primary debulking surgery should be challenged, with recommendations for future scoring systems provided.

Immunohistochemical profiling of the tumour microenvironment in borderline and malignant ovarian tumours in young women.

Ovarian cancer is a major cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Our previous study highlighted the interaction between cancer cells and the host immune response in solid cancers. The present study aimed to analyse the proportion, density and distribution of T and B lymphocytes within the tumour and surrounding stroma, and their prognostic significance in young women with borderline and malignant ovarian surface epithelial tumours. Full clinicopathological and outcome data were collected for 57 women aged <50 years diagnosed between January 2010 and December 2015. Representative tumour sections were stained for CD3 (T cells) and CD20 (B cells) and tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were scored following the TILs Working Group Recommendations and described as stromal, intra-tumoural, lymphoid aggregates and touching lymphocytes. Data were statistically analysed and the association with clinicopathological variables was assessed. The median age was 41 years and the most common histological type was serous carcinoma (n=21). The risk of malignancy index was a significant predictor of ovarian cancer diagnosis (P<0.05). A total of 15 out of 34 patients with cancer died. There was significantly greater stromal infiltration of CD3 and CD20 TILs (P=0.01 and P=0.03, respectively) and higher intratumoral CD20 expression in ovarian epithelial cancers compared with borderline tumours. The highest CD3 stroma count and density were observed in serous carcinoma, which also exhibited the highest numbers of CD3 and CD20 aggregates. There was no statistically significant difference between touching lymphocytes and tumour histological subtype. There was no significant association between TIL expression and patient survival. The count, distribution and density of T and B lymphocytes in ovarian tumours varied depending on tumour type and invasiveness. Their topographic distribution within the tumour and surrounding stroma did not impact prognosis in young women with ovarian cancer. TIL analysis in an older age group of women with ovarian tumours is ongoing to determine its potential prognostic significance.

Comparison of approaches and measurement of continuing professional development for specialists in laboratory medicine within four European countries.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated approaches to continuing professional development (CPD) for specialists in laboratory medicine within four European countries: Croatia, the Czech Republic, Malta and the UK. METHODS: The research questions focussed on ascertaining if continued registration/licence was linked to CPD and if so, were there requirements for certain amounts and types of CPD and for CPD activities to meet specified accreditation criteria. The Professional Associations Research Network (PARN) model of CPD measurement was applied to each country's registration/licencing body's CPD requirements. RESULTS: Our results indicate a spectrum of approaches to CPD within participating countries. CONCLUSIONS: It will be necessary for European employers to be familiar with these differences and to take them into account for this increasingly mobile European workforce.