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The Gleason score is the gold standard for grading of prostate cancer (PCa) and is assessed by assigning specific grades to different microscopical growth patterns. Aside from the Gleason grades, individual growth patterns such as cribriform architecture were recently shown to have independent prognostic value for disease outcome. PCa grading is performed on static tissue samples collected at one point in time, whereas in vivo epithelial tumour structures are dynamically invading, branching and expanding into the surrounding stroma. Due to the lack of models that are able to track human PCa microscopical developments over time, our understanding of underlying tissue dynamics is sparse. We postulate that human PCa expansion utilizes embryonic and developmental tubulogenetic pathways. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of developmental pathways of normal epithelial tubule formation, elongation, and branching, and relate those to the static microscopical PCa growth patterns observed in daily clinical practise. This study could provide a rationale for the discerned pathological interobserver variability and the clinical outcome differences between PCa growth patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gleason grading system is one of the most important factors in clinical decision‐making for prostate cancer patients, and is entirely based on the classification of tumour growth patterns. In recent years it has become clear that some individual growth patterns themselves have independent prognostic value, and could be used for better personalised risk stratification. In this review we summarise recent literature on the clinicopathological value and molecular characteristics of individual prostate cancer growth patterns, and show how these, most particularly cribriform architecture, could alter treatment decisions for prostate cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The variable morphology of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is assumed to reflect progression from an early form with classical cytology and mantle zone or nodular growth to a later, more aggressive variant of the disease with blastoid cytology and a diffuse growth pattern. However, studies of sequential biopsies of MCL are very limited, and we therefore undertook to carry out such a study. Methods and results: We analysed a cohort of 47 MCLs at primary diagnosis and relapse for cytology, growth pattern, and Ki67 index, and correlated the findings with outcome. In the majority of cases, the mantle zone growth pattern was lost, but it had been reacquired in a small subset of MCLs at relapse. Twenty-two per cent of MCLs with classical/small cell cytology acquired blastoid features during the course of the disease. However, 50% of MCLs with blastoid cytology at primary diagnosis recurred as a classical variant. The Ki67 index increased over time, and was associated with prognosis in the primary and the relapse biopsy specimens. Conclusions: This is the first study to show, in a large cohort of MCLs, that the Ki67 index increases over time in MCL. Assessment of the Ki67 index remains a useful prognostic tool if assessment is performed in the relapse situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yamaguchi T, Taniguchi H, Fujita S, Sekine S, Yamamoto S, Akasu T, Kushima R, Tani T, Moriya Y & Shimoda T (2012) Histopathology 61, 162-169 Clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic factors of advanced colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma Aims: Mucinous adenocarcinoma (MUC) is a histological variant of colorectal adenocarcinoma. The aim of the present study was to characterize clinicopathological features and identify prognostic factors of MUCs. Methods and results: A total of 181 patients with MUC who underwent surgery between 1975 and 2003 were reviewed. The clinicopathological features of these patients were compared with those of 4125 non-MUC patients. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify significant prognostic factors in 102 patients with pT3 or pT4 tumour who underwent curative surgery. Patients with MUCs tended to present with more advanced clinical stages. The overall 5-year survival rate of MUC patients was lower than that of non-MUC patients; however, no prognostic difference was found when patients with the same clinical stages were compared. Multivariate analysis revealed male sex, bowel obstruction and infiltrating growth type as independent prognostic factors. Five-year cancer-specific survival rates for MUC patients with ≤1, 2 and 3 risk factors identified by multivariate analysis were 95.5%, 52.1% and 0.0%, respectively ( P < 0.001). Conclusions: Mucinous adenocarcinoma represents a distinct clinicopathological entity. Sex, bowel obstruction and growth patterns might be useful prognostic factors to identify patients with a high risk of recurrence after curative resection of advanced MUCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: We have recently evaluated a classification of non-small-cell lung cancer based upon the presence of an angiogenic or a non-angiogenic growth pattern. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that lung metastases of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) can grow without eliciting angiogenesis and give rise to the same set of growth patterns. Methods and results: Tissue sections of 24 patients with lung metastases from clear cell RCC were analysed. Haematoxylin and eosin and reticulin staining were performed to evaluate growth pattern. Double-labelling with antibodies to CD34 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was performed to determine the endothelial cell proliferation fraction (ECPF) and the microvessel density (MVD). Three growth patterns were observed. In the destructive growth pattern (54%), the architecture of the lung was not preserved. In the alveolar (33%) and interstitial growth patterns (13%), the normal lung parenchyma was preserved within the metastases. MVD was higher in the destructive than in the alveolar growth pattern ( P = 0.009). ECPF was higher in the destructive (mean 31.1 ± 22.7%, median 30.0) than in the alveolar growth pattern (mean 3.6 ± 2.8%, median 3.2; P = 0.005). Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that highly angiogenic primary tumours can give rise to non-angiogenic metastases. This type of metastasis may be resistant to antiangiogenic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Cyclin D1 overexpression was examined in early gastric carcinomas and precursor lesions with the following aims; (1) to assess the chronology of cyclin D1 overexpression in various stages of gastric carcinogenesis, (2) to correlate cyclin D1 overexpression with the Lauren type, the grade of differentiation and the type of growth pattern of the tumours and (3) to correlate cyclin D1 overexpression with clinical parameters, in particular lymph node metastasis and overall prognosis. Methods and results Forty-five paraffin-embedded gastrectomy specimens from early carcinomas were examined for the presence of various precursor lesions. The Lauren type, the grade of differentiation and the type of growth pattern were reassessed for all early carcinomas. Cyclin D1 overexpression was examined using the monoclonal antibody DCS-6. Cyclin D1 overexpression was absent from all precursor lesions. Ten early carcinomas (22%) were cyclin D1 positive without significant differences when stratified according to Lauren type, grade of differentiation, type of growth pattern or lymph node status. Univariate analysis failed to show a significant difference in 5-year surival rate between cyclin D1 positive and negative early carcinomas (90% vs. 94%). Conclusions Cyclin D1 protein overexpression does not play a role in the progression from normal to neoplastic gastric mucosa and does not discriminate between intestinal and diffuse type early gastric carcinomas of Caucasian origin. Moreover, mechanisms other than cyclin D1 protein overexpression underlie the reported difference in biological behaviour of early gastric carcinomas with different types of growth pattern. Finally, although it appears that cyclin D1 does not have prognostic significance, studies on larger numbers, including advanced carcinomas, are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims:Conflicting data on c-erbB-2 overexpression in gastric carcinomas can be found in the literature with regard to overall prevalence, prognostic significance and the histological type according to Lauren. The majority of these studies have focused on advanced gastric carcinomas whereas data on c-erbB-2 overexpression in early gastric carcinomas, especially of Caucasian origin, are relatively sparse. We therefore examined a series of Caucasian early gastric carcinomas to assess overall c-erbB-2 overexpression and to correlate c-erbB-2 overexpression, if any, with the type of growth pattern and the Lauren type. Methods and results:Forty-five paraffin-embedded gastrectomy specimens from early carcinomas were examined for the presence of chronic active gastritis, chronic atrophic gastritis, subtypes of intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia. The Lauren type and the type of growth pattern were reassessed for all early carcinomas. c-erbB-2 overexpression was assessed with monoclonal antibody 3B5 and polyclonal antibody A485. Complete absence of c-erbB-2 overexpression was observed in chronic active gastritis, chronic atrophic gastritis, subtypes of intestinal metaplasia, and dysplasia. Moreover, c-erbB-2 overexpression was found absent in both intestinal-type (n = 20) and diffuse-type early gastric carcinomas (n = 25), irrespective of growth type. Conclusions:c-erbB-2 overexpression does not play a role in the progression from normal to neoplastic gastric mucosa and should be considered as a late event in gastric carcinogenesis. Moreover, c-erbB-2 overexpression does not discriminate between intestinal and diffuse type early gastric carcinomas of Caucasian origin. Finally, it appears that mechanisms other than c-erbB-2 overexpression underlie the reported differences in biological behaviour of early gastric carcinomas with different types of growth pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gleason grading system is one of the most important factors in clinical decision-making for prostate cancer patients, and is entirely based on the classification of tumour growth patterns. In recent years it has become clear that some individual growth patterns themselves have independent prognostic value, and could be used for better personalised risk stratification. In this review we summarise recent literature on the clinicopathological value and molecular characteristics of individual prostate cancer growth patterns, and show how these, most particularly cribriform architecture, could alter treatment decisions for prostate cancer patients., (© 2020 The Authors. Histopathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)