Gabor Fischer

Predicting outcome in minimally invasive (T1a and T1b) urothelial bladder carcinoma using a panel of biomarkers: a high throughput tissue microarray analysis

To evaluate the protein expression of fibroblast growth factor receptor‐3 (FGFR3), hamartin, 14‐3‐3σ, Aurora‐A, and E‐cadherin using immunohistochemistry (IHC) in a series of human bladder carcinomas and to evaluate their value in distinguishing T1a from T1b tumours and in predicting their behaviour, as T1 urothelial bladder tumours present great diagnostic and therapeutic challenges to pathologists and clinicians.

Association of TSC1/Hamartin, 14-3-3σ, and p27 Expression With Tumor Outcomes in Patients With pTa/pT1 Urothelial Bladder Carcinoma

TSC1/hamartin is a tumor suppressor gene involved in the development of various malignancies, including bladder cancer. In vitro studies showed that hamartin controls cell proliferation partly by up-regulating p27 and 14-3-3sigma. This study was designed to explore the value of these biomarkers in predicting outcome in pTa/pT1 tumors and validate the regulation of p27 and 14-3-3sigma by hamartin in vivo using human bladder cancer tissue. A tissue microarray of 134 pTa and pT1 tumors was constructed, and sections were stained with hamartin, 14-3-3sigma, and p27 antibodies. In multiple Cox regression analysis, pTa/pT1 tumors with reduced or low expression of hamartin tended to have higher risk of progression (P = .030). High-grade tumors tended to be at higher risk of progression in comparison with low-grade tumors (P < .001). The combination of expression of these 3 biomarkers did not add predictive value regarding disease outcomes. Low hamartin expression and high tumor grade are independent factors in predicting faster pTa/pT1 tumor progression. In a subset of pTa/pT1 tumors, hamartin has a role in bladder carcinogenesis by positively regulating 14-3-3sigma and p27.

Glandular Cell Abnormalities on SurePath Preparations: A Retrospective Review with Cytology-Histology Correlations

Objective: Detecting glandular lesions is challenging by all Pap test methodologies. As the availability of data on identifying glandular abnormalities by SurePath is scarce, we investigated the detection rates and the correlation with histology follow-up. Study Design: A total of 105,927 cases (SurePath and conventional) were searched for the diagnosis of atypical glandular cells or higher glandular abnormalities (AGC+) with the corresponding histologic diagnosis. The associations between the Pap test methods and diagnostic categories were assessed by χ2 test. Results: Overall, 0.32% of SurePath (159/49,375) and 0.29% of conventional (164/56,552) cases showed AGC+ (p = 0.38). Histology confirmed significant abnormalities in 42 versus 53.5% of the cases, respectively (p = 0.064); 72.7% (SurePath) versus 65.2% (conventional) of these were glandular in nature (p = 0.37). The diagnosis of neoplasia (favored or definitive) showed malignancy on follow-up in 100% of SurePath cases (12/12). In contrast, 82.1% of these conventional cases disclosed premalignant or malignant lesions by histology (p = 0.12). Conclusions: AGC+ cases showed higher prevalence on SurePath preparations. Conventional cases had more abnormalities on follow-up, while glandular lesions represented a higher proportion of abnormal histologies following SurePath AGC+s. The positive predictive value of favored or definite neoplasia was higher in SurePath cases. Overall, these differences were not statistically significant.

Optimal Utilization of Cytotechnologists’ Screening Skills and Time in Gynecologic and Nongynecologic Cytology

Objectives: With decreasing volumes in most cytology practices, laboratories are tasked to best utilize cytotechnologists’ skillsets and time. We investigated the impact of having a second screener on gynecologic and non-gynecologic cases on utilization and screening outcomes. Methods: Included in our study were 1,200 cases (650 gynecologic and 550 non-gynecologic cases); 421 cases were screened by …

Tissues from Hip and Knee Replacement Surgery: Pathology or Disposal?

Background: Current practice requires specimens from total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) to be sent for pathology examination. The literature suggests that pathology examination rarely provides more information than the clinical or radiological diagnosis, nor does it alter clinical management. Objectives: To identify and validate best practice for THA and …