Background: Our aim was to evaluate the application of the classification of the Papanicolaou Cytopathology Society for the report of biopsies by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of pancreas and bile duct. Methods: The FNAs obtained consecutively during 1 year were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were performed and sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and cytohistological correlation were determined. The reference standard test was the histopathological study. Results: A total of 134 cases of FNA were reclassified with ultrasound guidance according to the classification of the Papanicolaou Society, the median age was 59 years (range, 25-80 years). A case interpreted as non-diagnostic was reclassified to category 4 and 3 cases with atypical cells were reclassified to category 5. All malignant cases remained unchanged. Surgical follow-up was performed in 35 patients (26.1%), with a cytohistological concordance in 21 cases (91.3%) and 2 discordant cases (8.7%), the reasons for the discrepancy were due to sampling error, one of them with scarce material to make a diagnosis of higher category, the other case with partial agreement, because cytology was observed atypical cylindrical epithelium, with histology of grade 2 neuroendocrine neoplasia and low grade mucinous intraepithelial neoplasia. In general, the sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 75% respectively, the positive predictive value 88% and the negative predictive value 100%. Conclusions: The FNA guided with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and interpreted according to the Papanicolaou Cytopathology Society Classification is an accurate method to evaluate pancreatic and biliary tract lesions with a high positive predictive value of 88%.

Background:Several studies have reported that an elevation in neutrophils/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is correlated with poor survival in patients with colorectal cancer, but in rectal cancer (RC), it has been reported only in a few studies. It is necessary to separate colon cancer and rectal cancer to clarify the prognostic significance of NLR, especially in patients who received chemoradiotherapy.Methods:It is a comparative, observational retrospective study of a cohort of 175 patients. We grouped the patients into two based on their NLR (0-3 vs. > 3) to correlate with disease-specific survival (DSS) and pathologic complete response (pCR).Results:The average NLR was 2.65 + 1.32 (range 0.58-6.89), and 144 (82.3%) patients had an NLR of 0-3. The median follow-up was 33.53 months. There were no differences in pCR between the two groups. The 5-year DSS was 78.8%. NLR did not correlate with survival. Mesorectal quality, pT3-4 tumors, lymph node metastasis, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, positive margins and recurrence were statistically significant predictors of increased mortality in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, only overall recurrence correlated with poor survival. The analysis of the association of NLR with outcomes with different cut points (2.0, 2.5, 4 and 5) did not show differences in DSS and pCR.Conclusion:In our cohort, the NLR did not serve as a prognostic marker in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer and who received chemoradiotherapy and did not correlate with pCR as well.

AIMTo determine whether the association of rectal adenocarcinoma with a defective-mismatch repair system (dMMR) was associated with a pathological complete response (pCR) to preoperative chemoradiotherapy.METHODSA case-control study was designed with the aim of determining if patients with rectal adenocarcinoma with dMMR had an associated high pCR rate in response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT).RESULTSSeventy-two cases with pCR were compared against 144 controls without pCR. Across 216 cases, the mean age was 56.8 years, 140 (64.8%) were men, and 63 (29.2%) demonstrated the dMMR system. The pCR was associated with G1 tumors, dMMR, the absence of vascular invasion, and low tumor budding in the pretreatment biopsy. In a multivariant analysis, the factors associated with pCR were dMMR (OR: 2.61; 95%CI: 1.355-5.040, P = 0.004) and a low degree of tumor budding (OR: 2.52; 95%CI: 1.366-4.894, P = 0.025).CONCLUSIONWe found an independent association between dMMR and a low rate of tumor budding, with a higher rate of pCR, in the basal biopsies of patients with rectal carcinoma subjected to nCRT.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the highest rates reported for Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina. We provide a global snapshot of the CRC patterns, how screening is performed, and compared/contrasted to the genetic profile of Lynch syndrome (LS) in the region. From the literature, we find that only nine (20%) of the Latin America and the Caribbean countries have developed guidelines for early detection of CRC, and also with a low adherence. We describe a genetic profile of LS, including a total of 2,685 suspected families, where confirmed LS ranged from 8% in Uruguay and Argentina to 60% in Peru. Among confirmed LS, path_MLH1 variants were most commonly identified in Peru (82%), Mexico (80%), Chile (60%), and path_MSH2/EPCAM variants were most frequently identified in Colombia (80%) and Argentina (47%). Path_MSH6 and path_PMS2 variants were less common, but they showed important presence in Brazil (15%) and Chile (10%), respectively. Important differences exist at identifying LS families in Latin American countries, where the spectrum of path_MLH1 and path_MSH2 variants are those most frequently identified. Our findings have an impact on the evaluation of the patients and their relatives at risk for LS, derived from the gene affected. Although the awareness of hereditary cancer and genetic testing has improved in the last decade, it is remains deficient, with 39%–80% of the families not being identified for LS among those who actually met both the clinical criteria for LS and showed MMR deficiency.

Objective To compare colorectal cancer (CRC) incidences in carriers of pathogenic variants of the MMR genes in the PLSD and IMRC cohorts, of which only the former included mandatory colonoscopy surveillance for all participants. Methods CRC incidences were calculated in an intervention group comprising a cohort of confirmed carriers of pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in mismatch repair genes (path_MMR) followed prospectively by the Prospective Lynch Syndrome Database (PLSD). All had colonoscopy surveillance, with polypectomy when polyps were identified. Comparison was made with a retrospective cohort reported by the International Mismatch Repair Consortium (IMRC). This comprised confirmed and inferred path_MMR carriers who were first- or second-degree relatives of Lynch syndrome probands. Results In the PLSD, 8,153 subjects had follow-up colonoscopy surveillance for a total of 67,604 years and 578 carriers had CRC diagnosed. Average cumulative incidences of CRC in path_MLH1 carriers at 70 years of age were 52% in males and 41% in females; for path_MSH2 50% and 39%; for path_MSH6 13% and 17% and for path_PMS2 11% and 8%. In contrast, in the IMRC cohort, corresponding cumulative incidences were 40% and 27%; 34% and 23%; 16% and 8% and 7% and 6%. Comparing just the European carriers in the two series gave similar findings. Numbers in the PLSD series did not allow comparisons of carriers from other continents separately. Cumulative incidences at 25 years were < 1% in all retrospective groups. Conclusions Prospectively observed CRC incidences (PLSD) in path_MLH1 and path_MSH2 carriers undergoing colonoscopy surveillance and polypectomy were higher than in the retrospective (IMRC) series, and were not reduced in path_MSH6 carriers. These findings were the opposite to those expected. CRC point incidence before 50 years of age was reduced in path_PMS2 carriers subjected to colonoscopy, but not significantly so.

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Tumor volumetry calculated in the surgical specimen and/or pre-operative tomography was superior to the NIH consensus in stratifying the risk of recurrence in GIST.

Background and Objectives Tumor deposits (TDs) are associated with adverse prognostic factors and decreased survival in colorectal cancer. However, controversy exists regarding their definition, evaluation, and staging categories. This study aimed to determine the survival and recurrence impact of the TD in colon adenocarcinomas; and to determine if TD patients behave similarly to stage IV patients. Methods Cross‐section study from 392 patients with colon adenocarcinoma from 2005 to 2012. We performed survival analysis and further stratified patients considering TD patients as a “stage IV‐TD” to demonstrate if they behave similarly than stage IV patients. Results From 392 patients, 204 (52%) were men, the mean age was 57.4 ± 13.9 years and 11.5% of cases had TD. In a multivariate analysis, TD failed to predict mortality and recurrence. Considering cases with TD as stage IV‐TD, their mean survival was similar to stage IV patients (69.3 and 64.6 months, respectively) and different to those in stage III (110.5 months), II (135.7 months), and I (114.9 months) (P < 0.001). Conclusions TD failed to predict mortality and recurrence. Patients with TD in stage I‐III shows similar mortality than stage IV patients; then, we suggest putting them into a substage IV category instead of the N1c category.