Prognostic Significance of Defective Mismatch Repair and BRAF V600E in Patients with Colon Cancer

Colon tumors with defective DNA mismatch repair (dMMR) have a well characterized phenotype and accounts for ~15–20% of sporadic colon cancer (CC) as well as those colon cancer patients with Lynch Syndrome. Although the presence of dMMR appears to be a favorable prognostic marker, data suggests that these patients do not respond as well to adjuvant chemotherapy

Accuracy of CT Colonography for Detection of Large Adenomas and Cancers

Background Computed tomographic (CT) colonography is a noninvasive option in screening for colorectal cancer. However, its accuracy as a screening tool in asymptomatic adults has not been well defined. Methods We recruited 2600 asymptomatic study participants, 50 years of age or older, at 15 study centers. CT colonographic images were acquired with the use of standard bowel preparation, stool and fluid tagging, mechanical insufflation, and multidetector-row CT scanners (with 16 or more rows). Radiologists trained in CT colonography reported all lesions measuring 5 mm or more in diameter. Optical colonoscopy and histologic review were performed according to established clinical protocols at each center and served as the reference standard. The primary end point was detection by CT colonography of histologically confirmed large adenomas and adenocarcinomas (10 mm in diameter or larger) that had been detected by colonoscopy; detection of smaller colorectal lesions (6 to 9 mm in diameter) was also evaluated. Results Complete data were available for 2531 participants (97%). For large adenomas and cancers, the mean (±SE) per-patient estimates of the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve for CT colonography were 0.90±0.03, 0.86±0.02, 0.23±0.02, 0.99± Conclusions In this study of asymptomatic adults, CT colonographic screening identified 90% of subjects with adenomas or cancers measuring 10 mm or more in diameter. These findings augment published data on the role of CT colonography in screening patients with an average risk of colorectal cancer. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00084929; American College of Radiology Imaging Network [ACRIN] number, 6664.

Management of liver adenomatosis: Results with a conservative surgical approach

Liver adenomatosis is defined by the presence of multiple hepatic adenomas (more than three lesions). The natural history and treatment of liver adenomatosis are not yet well defined. The Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) experience with liver adenomatosis in the past 11 years was reviewed and a rational treatment approach is presented. Records from patients with liver adenomatosis and hepatic adenoma seen at the Mayo Clinic from January 1986 to June 1997 were reviewed. Estrogen‐ and progesterone‐receptor status was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Eight women with liver adenomatosis were identified. All patients had undergone surgical treatment. Abdominal pain was the presenting symptom in 87.5% of the patients with adenomatosis and in 42.1% of the patients with hepatic adenoma. Tumor bleeding was present in 62.5% of the patients with adenomatosis and in 26.3% of the patients with hepatic adenomas. Bleeding occurred predominantly in lesions greater than 4 cm. All patients with liver adenomatosis reported improvement of symptoms after surgery, and the mean bleeding‐free period after resection in 5 patients was 52.6 ± 23.6 months. In 6 patients, estrogen receptor–positive and estrogen receptor–negative tumors were identified in the same liver. Based on the good outcome after resection in symptomatic patients with liver adenomatosis, we recommend resection of large (≥5 cm) or symptomatic lesions with observation of smaller lesions (≤3 cm). Lack of estrogen receptors in many lesions suggests that estrogen does not play a dominant role in the pathogenesis of liver adenomatosis