The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of lymph node metastases (LN+) or extrauterine disease (ED) in low grade (FIGO grades 1 or 2) endometrioid carcinoma (LGEC) in a multi institutional setting. For LGEC with and without LNM or ED, each of the 9 participating institutions evaluated patients age, tumor size, myometrial invasion (MI), FIGO grade, % solid component, the presence or absence of papillary architecture, microcystic elongated and fragmented glands (MELF) and single cell/cell cluster invasion (SCI), lymphovascular invasion (LVI), lower uterine segment (LUS) and cervical stromal (CX) involvement and numbers of pelvic (PLN) and para-aortic (PALN) LNs sampled.302 cases were reviewed: LN+ or ED +, 96; LN-/ED-, 208. Patients' ages ranged from 23-91 yrs (median 61). Table 1 summarizes the histopathologic variables that were noted for the LN+ or ED+ group: tumor size ≥2cm, 93/96 (97%), MI >50%, 54/96 (56%), MELF, 67/96 (70%), SCI, 33/96 (34%), LVI, 79/96 (82%), >20% solid, 65/96 (68%), papillary architecture present, 68/96 (72%), LUS involved, 64/96 (67%) and CX involved, 31/96 (32%). For the LN-/ED- group, the results were as follows: tumor size ≥2cm, 152/208 (73%), MI >50%, 56/208 (27%), MELF, 79/208 (38%), single cell invasion, 19/208 (9%) , LVI, 56/208 (27%), >20% solid, 160/208 (77%), papillary architecture present, 122/208 (59%), LUS involved, 77/208 (37%), CX involved, 31/208 (15%). There was no evidence of a difference in the number of pelvic or para-aortic LNs sampled between groups (p=0.9 and 0.1, respectively). Following multivariate analysis, depth of myometrial invasion, cervical stromal involvement, lymphovascular space invasion, and the single cell pattern of invasion emerged as significant predictors of advanced stage disease. Although univariate analysis pointed to LUS involvement, MELF pattern of invasion, and papillary architecture as possible predictors of advanced stage disease, these were not shown to be significant by multivariate analysis. This study validates MI, CX involvement and LV as significant predictors of LN+ or ED. The association of SCI pattern with advanced stage LGEC is a novel finding.

The typical thyroid lymphoma patient is female and elderly with painless thyroid enlargement. Compressive symptoms of the aerodigestive tract are common at presentation and may require urgent intervention. Treatment modalities (XRT, CHOP chemotherapy) and outcomes are distinct from other thyroid malignancies.

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Glucuronidation, mediated by UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs), affects the actions and disposition of diverse endo-and xenobiotics. In the case of catecholestrogens (CEs), glucuronidation is likely to block their oxidation to quinone estrogens that are the putative mediators of CEs' actions as initiators of cancers. The goal of this study was to determine whether UGT2B7, the isoenzyme with a high affinity for 4-hydroxyestrone, is expressed in human breast parenchyma. Glucuronidation of 4-hydroxyestrone has relevance to breast carcinogenesis because quinone metabolites of 4-hydroxylated CEs can form potentially mutagenic depurinating DNA adducts, and because in breast tissue estrone is likely to be the predominant estrogen available for 4-hydroxylation. Using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, immunocytochemistry, immunoblot analyses, and assays of glucuronidation of 4-hydroxyestrone, we show that UGT2B7 is expressed in human mammary epithelium, and that its expression is dramatically reduced in invasive breast cancers. In many in situ carcinomas, however, 4-hydroxyestrone immunostaining was not only preserved but even more intense than in normal mammary epithelium. The finding of reduced UGT2B7 protein and glucuronidation of 4-hydroxyestrone in invasive cancers suggests a tumor-suppressor function for the enzyme. Recent identification of all-trans retinoic acid as a substrate of UGT2B7 suggests that this function includes the generation of retinoyl-␤-glucuronide, a potent mediator of actions of retinoids important for maintaining epithelia in a differentiated state. Current knowledge does not provide any ready explanation for the apparent increase in UGT2B7 expression in carcinomas in situ. However, this finding, together with reduced immunostaining at loci showing breach of the basement membrane (microinvasion), suggests involvement of UGT2B7-catalyzed reaction(s) in protection against invasion of surrounding tissue by cancer cells.