Human pathology
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Information for patients regarding their clinical conditions and treatment options is widely available online. The American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health recommend that online patient-oriented materials be written at no higher than a seventh-grade reading level to ensure full comprehension by the average American. This study sought to determine whether online patient-oriented materials explaining common pathology procedures are written at appropriate reading levels. ⋯ Average reading levels of the 11 most commonly accessed Web sites ranged from 8.25 (patient.info) to 12.25 (mayoclinic.org). Readability levels of most online pathology-related patient education materials exceeded those recommended by national health literacy guidelines. These patient education materials should be revised to help patients fully understand them.
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Correlation between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and complete pathological response (pCR) in breast cancers in neoadjuvant settings have been reported. In this study, we analyzed the association between TILs and diagnostic and prognostic parameters in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) without neoadjuvant treatments. Three hundred forty-four (344) patients who underwent mastectomy for breast cancer (187 ER+ and 157 TNBC) without neoadjuvant treatments were evaluated. ⋯ In ER+ breast cancer, there was a negative association between Oncotype DX recurrence score and both overall (P=.0007) and peripheral TILs (P=.0119). In conclusion, peripheral but not overall TILs correlate with better OS and DFS in TNBC, indicating the location of TILs may be important in TNBC. The negative association between TILs and Oncotype DX score in ER+ may indicate the possible prognostic value of TILs in ER+ breast cancer.
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Gastrointestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (GI DLBCL) is the most common gastrointestinal lymphoma. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several cancers. However, EZH2 has not been studied in GI DLBCL. ⋯ BCL2 translocation was detected exclusively in the germinal center B-cell-like subtype. Chronic gastroenteritis was present in all cases, and 36.4% of gastric DLBCL cases had H pylori infection. The data indicate that primary GI DLBCL is closely related with chronic inflammation and has a low frequency of molecular abnormality, and EZH2 overexpression is significantly associated with inferior outcome in patients with primary GI DLBCL; evaluating EZH2 expression has therapeutic implications.
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Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) and focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) are among the most common neuropathological findings in those undergoing surgery for refractory mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Existing data regarding differences among the most recent International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) HS subtypes remain limited. This study sought to characterize the roles of HS subtype and coexistent FCD. ⋯ When present, FCD was predominantly type I (98%). HS subtype does not appear to affect epilepsy surgery outcomes despite some clinical differences between the subgroups. FCD is often observed in association with HS in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy; the finding of FCD was associated with better postoperative outcomes.
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In KIT/PDGFRA wild-type gastrointestinal stromal tumors (wt-GISTs), BRAF mutations are regarded as alternative pathogenic events driving tumorigenesis. In our study, we aimed at analyzing a large cohort (n=444) of GISTs for BRAF mutations using molecular and immunohistochemical methods. More than 3000 GIST samples from caucasian patients were available in our GIST and Sarcoma Registry NRW. ⋯ V600E mutations. BRAF mutations in GISTs do not seem to have a prognostic value per se. However, as BRAF inhibition represents a therapeutic option to control disease, we suggest the assessment of the BRAF mutational status, especially in the setting of advanced GIST disease.