Standardised definitions and diagnostic criteria for extranodal extension detected on histopathological examination in head and neck cancer: Head and Neck Cancer International Group consensus recommendations.

Detection of extranodal extension on histopathology in surgically treated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma indicates poor prognosis. However, there is no consensus on the diagnostic criteria, interpretation, and reporting of histology detected extranodal extension, which has contributed to conflicting evidence in the literature, and likely clinical inconsistency. The Head and Neck Cancer International Group conducted a three-round modified Delphi process with a group of 19 international pathology experts representing 15 national clinical research groups to generate consensus recommendations for histology detected extranodal extension diagnostic criteria. The expert panel strongly agreed on terminology and diagnostic features for histology detected extranodal extension and soft tissue metastasis. Moreover, the panel reached consensus on reporting of histology detected extranodal extension and on nodal sampling. These consensus recommendations, endorsed by 19 organisations representing 34 countries, are a crucial development towards standardised diagnosis and reporting of histology detected extranodal extension, and more accurate data collection and analysis.

Recurrence rate after radical prostatectomy following primary staging of high-risk prostate cancer with 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT.

BACKGROUND: Accurate primary staging is one of the most important issues for initial management of prostate cancer (PCa) patients to perform an optimal selection of patients for curative intended treatment. 68Ga-Prostate-Specific-Membrane-Antigen (PSMA) PET/CT was found superior to conventional imaging both for detection of recurrence after curative intended treatment and for primary staging. We studied the recurrence rate after radical prostatectomy in high-risk PCa patients primary staged with 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT compared with conventional imaging. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 247 D'Amico high-risk PCa patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) after primary staging with 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT and a reference group of 137 high-risk patients with RP after conventional imaging (99mTc bone scintigraphy and CT). Recurrence rates were assessed by Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: The 5-year recurrence-free survival rate was 71.1% in the 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT cohort compared with 56.4% in the conventional imaging cohort. Primary staging by 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT reduced biochemical recurrence (BCR) risk by 42% (HR = 0.58 (0.41-0.83), p = .004). CONCLUSION: The present data could indicate a lower recurrence rate after RP following primary staging with 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT compared to conventional imaging, likely due to improved selection of patients for surgery.

A genetically modified minipig model for Alzheimer's disease with SORL1 haploinsufficiency.

The established causal genes in Alzheimer's disease (AD), APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, are functionally characterized using biomarkers, capturing an in vivo profile reflecting the disease's initial preclinical phase. Mutations in SORL1, encoding the endosome recycling receptor SORLA, are found in 2%-3% of individuals with early-onset AD, and SORL1 haploinsufficiency appears to be causal for AD. To test whether SORL1 can function as an AD causal gene, we use CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing to develop a model of SORL1 haploinsufficiency in Göttingen minipigs, taking advantage of porcine models for biomarker investigations. SORL1 haploinsufficiency in young adult minipigs is found to phenocopy the preclinical in vivo profile of AD observed with APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, resulting in elevated levels of ß-amyloid (Aß) and tau preceding amyloid plaque formation and neurodegeneration, as observed in humans. Our study provides functional support for the theory that SORL1 haploinsufficiency leads to endosome cytopathology with biofluid hallmarks of autosomal dominant AD.

Delayed leukoencephalopathy from suspected polymer embolism after neuroendovascular procedures.

As the neurointervention field grows, a new side effect emerges. Delayed leukoencephalopathy (DL) is believed to be an inflammatory or allergic reaction to polymer material that is shed from catheters during endovascular procedures. We present four cases of DL after aneurysm treatment in two patients, endovascular stroke treatment and diagnostic arteriography. We present our diagnostic process, including biopsy results in two patients, our anti-inflammatory treatment and outcomes together with a review of the literature. In our series, prognosis was variable with ongoing seizures in two patients. Our literature review reveals that asymptomatic shedding of polymer material is common, occurring in a third of endovascular stroke procedures, whereas symptomatic DL occurs in <0.5% of therapeutic neuroendovascular procedures. Clinicians should be aware of this rare complication, and oral glucocorticoids seem to be a reasonable first-line treatment strategy.

Immune cell analyses of the tumor microenvironment in prostate cancer highlight infiltrating regulatory T cells and macrophages as adverse prognostic factors.

Improved risk stratification is needed for patients with localized prostate cancer. This study characterized and assessed the prognostic potential of distinct immune cell infiltration patterns in the prostate tumor microenvironment. Using tissue microarrays, multiplex immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence, and automated digital pathology, we analyzed radical prostatectomy specimens from two large patient cohorts (training: n = 470; validation: n = 333) to determine infiltration levels of seven immune cell types in malignant versus benign prostate tissue: CD3+ CD8- FoxP3- T helper cells, CD3+ CD8+ FoxP3- cytotoxic T cells (CTLs), CD3+ CD8- FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs ), CD20+ B cells, CD68+ CD163- M1 macrophages, CD68+ CD163+ M2 macrophages, and tryptase+ mast cells. Results were further validated by cell type enrichment analyses of bulk tumor RNAseq data from a third independent patient cohort (n = 99). Prognostic potential was assessed by Kaplan-Meier and uni-/multi-variate Cox regression analyses. Clinical endpoint was biochemical recurrence. All seven immune cell types were enriched in prostate cancer versus benign stroma, while there was selective enrichment for B cells, Tregs , M1 and M2 macrophages, and depletion of mast cells and CTLs in prostate cancer epithelium. In all three cohorts, high levels of infiltrating Tregs , M1, and M2 macrophages in stroma and/or epithelium were associated with biochemical recurrence (p < 0.05; log-rank test). After adjustment for routine clinical variables, Tregs and M2 macrophages remained significant adverse predictors of biochemical recurrence (p < 0.05; multivariate Cox regression). Our comprehensive analyses of immune cell infiltration patterns in the prostate tumor microenvironment highlight infiltrating Tregs , M1, and M2 macrophages as adverse predictors of prostate cancer outcome. © 2021 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

68Ga-PSMA PET/CT for Primary Lymph Node and Distant Metastasis NM Staging of High-Risk Prostate Cancer.

With the largest high-risk prostate cancer (PCa) cohort to date undergoing 68Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT primary staging, we aimed to, first, characterize the metastatic spread of PCa in relation to tumor 68Ga-PSMA uptake and the D'Amico classification and, second, compare 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT findings with radical prostatectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) histopathology findings. Methods: The study included 691 consecutive newly diagnosed, biopsy-proven, treatment-naïve, D'Amico high-risk PCa patients primary-staged by 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT. PSMA SUVmax and metastatic findings were compared with prostate-specific antigen level, International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grade, and clinical stage as traditional risk stratification parameters. Moreover, 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT findings were compared with histology findings in radical prostatectomy patients undergoing PLND. Undetected lymph node metastases (LNMs) underwent immunohistochemical PSMA staining. Results: Advanced disease (N1/M1) was observed in 35.3% of patients (244/691) and was associated with increasing prostate-specific antigen level, ISUP grade, and clinical stage. LNMs (N1/M1a) were detected in 31.4% (217/691) and bone metastases (M1b) in 16.8% (116/691). Advanced disease frequencies in patients with ISUP grades 2 and 3 were 10.8% (11/102) and 37.1% (33/89), respectively. Risk of advanced disease for cT2a, cT2b, and cT2c tumors was almost equal (24.2%, 27.9%, and 22.4%, respectively). We observed a weak correlation between SUVmax and biopsy ISUP grade (ρ = 0.21; P < 0.001) and a modest correlation between SUVmax and postprostatectomy ISUP grade (ρ = 0.38; P < 0.001). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and accuracy for LNM detection on 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT in the PLND cohort were 30.6%, 96.5%, 68.8%, 84.5%, and 83.1%, respectively. Undetected LNMs either were micrometastases located in the lymph node border or were without PSMA expression. Conclusion: In this high-risk PCa cohort, we identified advanced disease in about one third at diagnosis. ISUP grade was the superior predictor for advanced disease at diagnosis. We found a significant difference in frequency of advanced disease between ISUP grades 2 and 3, as supports the Gleason score 7 subdivision. Interestingly, we observed no significant differences in risk of advanced disease when comparing the different cT2 stages. The undetected LNMs were either PSMA-negative or micrometastases.

Rosette-forming glioneuronal tumors share a distinct DNA methylation profile and mutations in FGFR1, with recurrent co-mutation of PIK3CA and NF1.

Rosette-forming glioneuronal tumor (RGNT) is a rare brain neoplasm that primarily affects young adults. Although alterations affecting the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway have been associated with this low-grade entity, comprehensive molecular investigations of RGNT in larger series have not been performed to date, and an integrated view of their genetic and epigenetic profiles is still lacking. Here we describe a genome-wide DNA methylation and targeted sequencing-based characterization of a molecularly distinct class of tumors (n = 30), initially identified through genome-wide DNA methylation screening among a cohort of > 30,000 tumors, of which most were diagnosed histologically as RGNT. FGFR1 hotspot mutations were observed in all tumors analyzed, with co-occurrence of PIK3CA mutations in about two-thirds of the cases (63%). Additional loss-of-function mutations in the tumor suppressor gene NF1 were detected in a subset of cases (33%). Notably, in contrast to most other low-grade gliomas, these tumors often displayed co-occurrence of two or even all three of these mutations. Our data highlight that molecularly defined RGNTs are characterized by highly recurrent combined genetic alterations affecting both MAPK and PI3K signaling pathways. Thus, these two pathways appear to synergistically interact in the formation of RGNT, and offer potential therapeutic targets for this disease.

[Integrated diagnostics of brain tumours based on histological and molecular features].

Diagnostics of tumours of the central nervous system has for decades been based entirely on microscopy. A con-siderable degree of diagnostic interobserver variability has been observed due to imprecise histological criteria. In the revised WHO classification for central nervous system tumours from 2016, several diagnoses are now defined by both histological and molecular features and constitute "integrated diagnoses". The development based on new technologies like next-generation sequencing and DNA methylation profiling is discussed in this review as well as its implication for daily diagnostics and the patient.

The HTN3-MSANTD3 Fusion Gene Defines a Subset of Acinic Cell Carcinoma of the Salivary Gland.

The spectrum of tumors arising in the salivary glands is wide and has recently been shown to harbor a network of tumor-specific fusion genes. Acinic cell carcinoma (AciCC) is one of the more frequently encountered types of salivary gland carcinoma, but it has remained a genetic orphan until recently when a fusion between the HTN3 and MSANTD3 genes was described in one case. Neither of these 2 genes is known to be implicated in any other malignancy. This study was undertaken to investigate whether the HTN3-MSANTD3 fusion is a recurrent genetic event in AciCC and whether it is a characteristic of one of its histological variants. Of the 273 AciCCs screened, 9 cases showed rearrangement of MSANTD3 by break-apart fluorescence in situ hybridization, 2 had 1 to 2 extra signals, and 1 had gain, giving a total of 4.4% with MSANTD3 aberrations. In 6 of 7 available cases with MSANTD3 rearrangement, the HTN3-MSANTD3 fusion transcript was demonstrated with real-time polymerase chain reaction. Histologically, all fusion-positive cases were predominantly composed of serous tumor cells growing in solid sheets, with serous tumor cells expressing DOG-1 and the intercalated duct-like cell component being CK7 positive and S-100 positive in 6/9 cases. All but one case arose in the parotid gland, and none of the patients experienced a recurrence during follow-up. In contrast, the case with MSANTD3 gain metastasized to the cervical lymph nodes and lungs. In conclusion, we find the HTN3-MSANTD3 gene fusion to be a recurrent event in AciCC with prominent serous differentiation and an indolent clinical course.

ETV6 Gene Rearrangements Characterize a Morphologically Distinct Subset of Sinonasal Low-grade Non-intestinal-type Adenocarcinoma: A Novel Translocation-associated Carcinoma Restricted to the Sinonasal Tract.

Low-grade sinonasal adenocarcinomas (low-grade SNACs) of the sinonasal tract comprise a poorly characterized and histologically heterogeneous group of tumors. We describe three cases of a histologically distinct variant of low-grade SNAC characterized by ETV6 gene rearrangements. The patients included 2 women (aged 32 and 88 y) and a man (aged 75 y); all were initially treated with surgery alone. Follow-up ranged from 9 to 170 months with one patient having 2 local recurrences and none experiencing distant or regional metastases. Tumors were composed of cytologically bland columnar and cuboidal eosinophilic tumor cells with basally located nuclei arranged in tubular and tubulotrabecular patterns. Immunohistochemically, CK7, DOG1, GCDFP-15, and SOX10 were positive in all cases, and vimentin was positive in 2 cases. Scattered single cells or small groups of tumor cells were S-100 positive. Only one case had weak, focal expression of GATA3, and mammaglobin was consistently negative. Two cases had ETV6-NTRK3 gene fusions, whereas ETV6 had an unknown fusion partner gene in one case. The highly similar morphology, immunohistochemical profile, and genetics of the presented cases are suggestive of a specific disease. Although translocation-associated adenocarcinomas in the sinonasal tract have previously been described exclusively as salivary-type carcinomas, we present the first type of carcinoma characterized by recurrent genetic rearrangements and distinct phenotype occurring exclusively in the sinonasal tract with no known major salivary gland counterpart. We provisionally designate this tumor ETV6-rearranged low-grade SNAC. Identification of additional cases is necessary to fully appreciate the morphologic and biological spectrum of this disease.

Prognostic Impact of a 12-gene Progression Score in Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer: A Prospective Multicentre Validation Study.

BACKGROUND: Progression of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) to muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is life-threatening and cannot be accurately predicted using clinical and pathological risk factors. Biomarkers for stratifying patients to treatment and surveillance are greatly needed. OBJECTIVE: To validate a previously developed 12-gene progression score to predict progression to MIBC in a large, multicentre, prospective study. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We enrolled 1224 patients in ten European centres between 2008 and 2012. A total of 750 patients (851 tumours) fulfilled the inclusion and sample quality criteria for testing. Patients were followed for an average of 28 mo (range 0-76). A 12-gene real-time qualitative polymerase chain reaction assay was performed for all tumours and progression scores were calculated using a predefined formula and cut-off values. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: We measured progression to MIBC using Cox regression analysis and log-rank tests for comparing survival distributions. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: The progression score was significantly (p<0.001) associated with age, stage, grade, carcinoma in situ, bacillus Calmette-Guérin treatment, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer risk score, and disease progression. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that patients molecularly classified as high risk experienced more frequent disease progression (hazard ratio 5.08, 95% confidence interval 2.2-11.6; p<0.001). Multivariable Cox regression models showed that the progression score added independent prognostic information beyond clinical and histopathological risk factors (p<0.001), with an increase in concordance statistic from 0.82 to 0.86. The progression score showed high correlation (R2=0.85) between paired fresh-frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumour specimens, supporting translation potential in the standard clinical setting. A limitation was the relatively low progression rate (5%, 37/750 patients). CONCLUSIONS: The 12-gene progression score had independent prognostic power beyond clinical and histopathological risk factors, and may help in stratifying NMIBC patients to optimise treatment and follow-up regimens. PATIENT SUMMARY: Clinical use of a 12-gene molecular test for disease aggressiveness may help in stratifying patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer to optimal treatment regimens.

Multicenter validation of cyclin D1, MCM7, TRIM29, and UBE2C as prognostic protein markers in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Transcripts from the four genes encoding cyclin D1, MCM7, TRIM29, and UBE2C have previously been included in gene expression signatures for outcome prediction in stage Ta/T1 urothelial carcinomas. We investigated the prognostic value of the protein expressions in Ta/T1 urothelial carcinomas patients. We used four different tissue microarrays (TMAs) with a total of 859 Ta/T1 urothelial carcinomas from Danish, Swedish, Spanish, and Taiwanese patient cohorts with long-term follow-up. Protein expression was measured by IHC, and antibody specificity was validated by Western blotting. We found the expression of cyclin D1, MCM7, TRIM29, and UBE2C to be significantly associated with progression to muscle-invasive bladder cancer (log-rank test; P < 0.001) in the Danish training cohort (n = 283). Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified cyclin D1 (P = 0.003), TRIM29 (P = 0.001), and UBE2C (P < 0.001) as independent prognostic markers. The prognostic value of the four proteins was validated in a joint validation cohort from Sweden, Spain, and Taiwan (n = 576). Computer-assisted image analysis of the prognostic markers produced results comparable to those obtained by manual scoring. Finally, a four-protein maximum-likelihood classifier was trained on the Danish training cohort and applied to the validation cohort. The four protein markers may help optimize treatment of patients with Ta/T1 bladder cancer. Additional prospective studies are needed for further validation of their clinical relevance.

Expression of TIP60 (tat-interactive protein) and MRE11 (meiotic recombination 11 homolog) predict treatment-specific outcome of localised invasive bladder cancer.

UNLABELLED: What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Several studies have shown that defects in DNA-damage response are associated with good survival after chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Furthermore, loss of cell cycle regulators may be prognostic indicators of poor survival after cystectomy. However, the potential clinical impact of previous findings is hampered by insufficient validation of significant results in suitable cystectomy and radiotherapy cohorts. Here we use a large cohort of patients receiving radiotherapy to successfully validate the importance of MRE11 as a predictive marker of disease-specific survival (DSS). Furthermore, using two independent patient cohorts we show for the first time that TIP60 is a predictive marker of DSS after cystectomy. We show that combined use of TIP60 and MRE11 may hold the potential to guide treatment decisions. OBJECTIVE: • To determine the association between the proteins: tat-interactive protein 60 kDa (TIP60), p16, meiotic recombination 11 homolog (MRE11), phosphorylated ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), retinoblastoma protein (Rb), Ki67, and p53 and clinical outcome in invasive lymph node-negative bladder cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: • Protein expression was measured by immunohistochemistry in cancer specimens from two independent cohorts of patients with bladder cancer treated with cystectomy (162 patients and 273) and one cohort of patients receiving radiotherapy (148). • Disease-specific survival (DSS) was used as the outcome measure, and patients with no disease-specific death were followed for a minimum of 36 months. RESULTS: • TIP60 was significantly correlated with DSS in both cystectomy cohorts (hazard ratio [HR] 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.26-0.68, P < 0.001 and HR 0.45, 95% CI 0.28-0.72, P = 0.001). • MRE11 was significantly correlated with DSS in the cohort receiving radiotherapy (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.47-0.86, P = 0.005). • P16 was significantly correlated with DSS in all three cohorts (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.30-0.75, P = 0.032; HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.37-0.97, P = 0.032; HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.28-0.96, P = 0.001). • Rb was significantly correlated with DSS in one cystectomy cohort (HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.13-2.75, P = 0.017). • Ki67, p53, and pATM were not significantly correlated with DSS in any of the cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: • TIP60 protein expression was a predictive marker for DSS after cystectomy in two independent cohorts. This novel marker was the strongest predictive factor in multivariate analysis in patients receiving cystectomy. • MRE11 was shown to be a predictive marker for DSS after radiotherapy. • We have shown that TIP60 and MRE11 hold the potential to guide patients with invasive bladder cancer to either cystectomy or radiotherapy. This study was based on retrospective material and consequently we suggest that these markers should be validated in a prospective study.

TLR3 deficiency renders astrocytes permissive to herpes simplex virus infection and facilitates establishment of CNS infection in mice.

Herpes simplex viruses (HSVs) are highly prevalent neurotropic viruses. While they can replicate lytically in cells of the epithelial lineage, causing lesions on mucocutaneous surfaces, HSVs also establish latent infections in neurons, which act as reservoirs of virus for subsequent reactivation events. Immunological control of HSV involves activation of innate immune pattern-recognition receptors such as TLR3, which detects double-stranded RNA and induces type I IFN expression. Humans with defects in the TLR3/IFN pathway have an elevated susceptibility to HSV infections of the CNS. However, it is not known what cell type mediates the role of TLR3 in the immunological control of HSV, and it is not known whether TLR3 sensing occurs prior to or after CNS entry. Here, we show that in mice TLR3 provides early control of HSV-2 infection immediately after entry into the CNS by mediating type I IFN responses in astrocytes. Tlr3-/- mice were hypersusceptible to HSV-2 infection in the CNS after vaginal inoculation. HSV-2 exhibited broader neurotropism in Tlr3-/- mice than it did in WT mice, with astrocytes being most abundantly infected. Tlr3-/- mice did not exhibit a global defect in innate immune responses to HSV, but astrocytes were defective in HSV-induced type I IFN production. Thus, TLR3 acts in astrocytes to sense HSV-2 infection immediately after entry into the CNS, possibly preventing HSV from spreading beyond the neurons mediating entry into the CNS.

Cathepsin E, maspin, Plk1, and survivin are promising prognostic protein markers for progression in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer is a common cancer with particularly high recurrence after transurethral resection. In this study, we investigated the prognostic value of the protein expression of cathepsin E, maspin, polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1), and survivin in patients with stage Ta and T1 urothelial carcinomas. Transcripts from the four genes encoding these proteins were previously included in gene expression signatures for outcome prediction for Ta/T1 bladder cancer. We used three different tissue microarrays with 693 non-muscle invasive urothelial carcinomas from Danish, Swedish, and Spanish patient cohorts with long-term follow-up. Protein expression was measured by immunohistochemistry, and antibody specificity was validated by Western blotting. In the Danish patient cohort, we found the expression of cathepsin E, maspin, Plk1, and survivin to be significantly associated with progression to stage T2 to T4 bladder cancer (for each marker: log-rank test; P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified cathepsin E (P < 0.001), Plk1 (P = 0.021), maspin (P = 0.001), and survivin (P = 0.001) as independent prognostic markers. Furthermore, maspin, survivin, and cathepsin E expression significantly subgrouped patients already stratified by European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer risk scores. Finally, we successfully validated the results in tumors from 410 patients from both Sweden and Spain. We conclude that all four protein markers may have prognostic value in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer for guiding optimal treatment of patients. Additional prospective studies are needed for further validation of the clinical relevance of this marker panel.

Evaluation of different lymph node (LN) variables as prognostic markers in patients undergoing radical cystectomy and extended LN dissection to the level of the inferior mesenteric artery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prognostic impact of lymph node (LN) variables in patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC) and extended LN dissection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 2004 to January 2009, 167 patients with bladder cancer underwent RC and extended LN dissection to the level of the inferior mesenteric artery in a surgery-only series with no neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy. Correlation to prognosis of different LN variables according to presence of LN metastasis, number, localization, extracapsular extension (ECE), size, volume, LN density and N-stage according to two different Tumour-Node-Metastasis (TNM) classifications were analysed. RESULTS: In all, 43 patients (26%) had LN metastases. In univariate analysis, gender, T-stage and several different LN variables stratified by presence of LN metastasis, number of positive LNs, anatomical localisation, ECE, LN density, size and volume of positive LNs, were significant prognostic predictors. Female gender, advanced T-stage, presence of LN metastasis, non-regional LN metastases (M-positive) and number of positive LNs (1 vs >1) were significant adverse prognostic predictors in multivariate analysis, whereas the other LN variables were not. Inclusion of the common iliac LNs in the regional LNs as suggested in the seventh edition of the TNM classification was relevant regarding prognosis. However, subclassification based on location was not correlated to prognosis. The new N3 category therefore seems superfluous. CONCLUSIONS: LN-positive patients have a poor prognosis, especially if >1 positive LN is present. Despite several different suggestions of new LN-dependent prognostic factors, none of the tested variables were independently significant in the present series.

Downregulation of zinc finger protein 132 in prostate cancer is associated with aberrant promoter hypermethylation and poor prognosis.

This study investigates the expression and biomarker potential of zinc finger protein 132 (ZNF132) in prostate cancer (PC) by transcriptional profiling and immunohistochemical analysis of tissue microarrays, including tumor specimens from 615 radical prostatectomy (RP) patients and 199 conservatively treated patients. Primary clinical endpoints were time to PSA recurrence and cancer-specific death, respectively. Compared to normal prostate epithelial cells from men without PC, ZNF132 transcript levels were significantly reduced in PC cells from patients with localized PC and further downregulated in metastatic PC. Likewise, ZNF132 protein expression was significantly lower in primary tumors from patients with metastatic compared to localized PC and further reduced in castrate-refractory PC, indicating that ZNF132 downregulation correlates with disease progression. Reduced ZNF132 immunoreactivity was significantly associated with high Gleason score and advanced T stage in both PC patient cohorts. By univariate analysis, no/weak ZNF132 staining was a significant adverse predictor of PSA recurrence after RP (p = 0.024) and cancer-specific death following conservative treatment (p = 0.009). In multivariate models, however, ZNF132 did not add significant independent value to established prognostic factors. Finally, bisulfite sequencing revealed frequent promoter hypermethylation of ZNF132 in both PC cell lines and PC tissue samples, indicating that ZNF132 is epigenetically silenced in PC. In summary, our results show that downregulation of ZNF132 is associated with aggressive PC and furthermore identify ZNF132 as a new candidate methylation marker for PC.

The influence of HPV-associated p16-expression on accelerated fractionated radiotherapy in head and neck cancer: evaluation of the randomised DAHANCA 6&7 trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Tumour HPV-positivity is a favourable prognostic factor in the radiotherapy of HNSCC, but the optimal radiotherapy regimen for HPV-positive HNSCC is not yet defined. Reducing overall treatment time is known to improve outcome in the radiotherapy of HNSCC as was also demonstrated in the randomised DAHANCA 6&7 trial. We aimed to assess the influence of tumour HPV-status, expressed by p16, on the response to accelerated fractionated radiotherapy in HNSCC through evaluation of the DAHANCA 6&7 trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical detection of HPV-associated p16-expression was performed on FFPE-pre-treatment tumour-tissues from 794 patients enrolled in the DAHANCA 6&7 trial. The influence of tumour p16-status on loco-regional tumour control and survival as a function of fractionation schedule (5Fx/week vs 6Fx/week) was evaluated 5years after the completion of radiotherapy. RESULTS: The significant and independent prognostic value of tumour p16-positivity in HNSCC radiotherapy was confirmed, with adjusted hazard ratios (HR) of 0.58 [0.43-0.78], 0.47 [0.33-0.67] and 0.54 [0.42-0.68] for loco-regional control, disease-specific and overall survival, respectively. Accelerated radiotherapy significantly improved loco-regional tumour control compared to conventional radiotherapy, adjusted HR: 0.73 [0.59-0.92] and the benefit of the 6Fx/week regimen was observed both in p16-positive (HR: 0.56 [0.33-0.96]) as well as in p16-negative tumours (HR: 0.77 [0.60-0.99]). Disease-specific survival was also significantly improved with accelerated radiotherapy in the group of p16-positive tumours (adjusted HR: 0.43 [0.22-0.82]). CONCLUSION: Accelerated radiotherapy significantly improves outcome in HNSCC compared to conventional fractionation. The observed benefit is independent of tumour p16-status and the use of a moderately accelerated radiotherapy regimen seems advantageous also for HPV/p16-positive HNSCC.

Lymph node mapping in patients with bladder cancer undergoing radical cystectomy and lymph node dissection to the level of the inferior mesenteric artery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate extended lymph node dissection (LND) as a nodal staging tool in the treatment of invasive carcinoma of the urinary bladder and to suggest a reasonable proximal limit of the dissection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In all, 170 patients underwent radical cystectomy with extended LND up to the level of the inferior mesenteric artery. Specimens were evaluated as 13 separate packages from pre-designated anatomical locations. The number of LNs and presence of positive LNs (LN+) at each location was prospectively registered. RESULTS: The median (range) number of LNs removed was 24 (6-62). In all, 25.3% of the patients had LN+. The median (range) number of LN+ was 2 (1-20). Advanced T-stage was correlated with a higher risk of LN+ but not to the specific location of the LN+. Two patients had LN+ above the common iliac bifurcation with no LN+ more distally located within the pelvic region. All other patients with LN+ above the common iliac bifurcation had more distally located LN+. There were no skip lesions to LNs above the aortic bifurcation. CONCLUSIONS: Extended LND above the common iliac bifurcation including the presacral area provides a more accurate LN staging compared with a standard pelvic LND. Extending the limits above the aortic bifurcation is not necessary from a staging perspective.

Genomic profiling of microRNAs in bladder cancer: miR-129 is associated with poor outcome and promotes cell death in vitro.

microRNAs (miRNA) are involved in cancer development and progression, acting as tumor suppressors or oncogenes. Here, we profiled the expression of 290 unique human miRNAs in 11 normal and 106 bladder tumor samples using spotted locked nucleic acid-based oligonucleotide microarrays. We identified several differentially expressed miRNAs between normal urothelium and cancer and between the different disease stages. miR-145 was found to be the most down-regulated in cancer compared with normal, and miR-21 was the most up-regulated in cancer. Furthermore, we identified miRNAs that significantly correlated to the presence of concomitant carcinoma in situ. We identified several miRNAs with prognostic potential for predicting disease progression (e.g., miR-129, miR-133b, and miR-518c*). We localized the expression of miR-145, miR-21, and miR-129 to urothelium by in situ hybridization. We then focused on miR-129 that exerted significant growth inhibition and induced cell death upon transfection with a miR-129 precursor in bladder carcinoma cell lines T24 and SW780 cells. Microarray analysis of T24 cells after transfection showed significant miR-129 target down-regulation (P = 0.0002) and pathway analysis indicated that targets were involved in cell death processes. By analyzing gene expression data from clinical tumor samples, we identified significant expression changes of target mRNA molecules related to the miRNA expression. Using luciferase assays, we documented a direct link between miR-129 and the two putative targets GALNT1 and SOX4. The findings reported here indicate that several miRNAs are differentially regulated in bladder cancer and may form a basis for clinical development of new biomarkers for bladder cancer.