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Background: The goal of this study is to show the feasibility and benefits of using the simultaneous biportal endoscopic procedure to treat pineal tumors in patients with obstructive hydrocephalus. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed three patients with pineal tumors and acute obstructive hydrocephalus who were treated in one session with a frameless stereotactic guided simultaneous biportal endoscopic third ventriculostomy and endoscopic tumor biopsy performed through two separate ports using one rigid ventriculoscope. Results: In the three patients, ventriculostomy and endoscopic biopsies were conducted. There was no death or morbidity throughout the 45-min procedure. All of the patients' histological findings were confirmed. Germinoma was diagnosed in two patients who recieved postoperative radiotherapy, and the third patient diagnosed with a pineocytoma. Magnetic resonance imaging with flow-sensitive sequences was used to confirm ventriculostomy patency in all patients 6 months after the surgery. Conclusion: Biportal endoscopic approach enables better visual control of both procedures. Furthermore, it allows the surgeon to safely pass the ventriculoscope via the foramen of monro, even if it is narrow. Moreover, during endoscopic tumor biopsy and third ventriculostomy, the intracranial pressure can be smoothly managed using the outlet tubes accessible. This treatment may be an alternative to traditional uniportal endoscopic operations in certain patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is heterogeneous in etiology, phenotype and biology. Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) maintain morphology and molecular profiling of the original tumors and have become a standard "Avatar" model for human cancer research. However, restricted availability of tumor samples hindered the widespread use of PDX. Most PDX-projects include only surgical specimens because reliable engraftment from biopsies is missing. Therefore, sample collection is limited and excludes recurrent and metastatic, non-resectable cancer from preclinical models as well as future personalized medicine. Methods: This study compares the PDX-take rate, -growth, histopathology, and molecular characteristics of endoscopic specimens with surgical specimens. HNSCC samples (n = 55) were collected ad hoc, fresh frozen and implanted into NOD.Cg-PrkdcscidIl2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ mice. Results: Engraftment was successful in both sample types. However, engraftment rate was lower (21 vs. 52%) and growth delayed (11.2 vs. 6.7 weeks) for endoscopic biopsies. Following engraftment, growth kinetic was similar. Comparisons of primary tumors and corresponding PDX models confirmed preservation of histomorphology (HE histology) and molecular profile (Illumina Cancer Hotspot Panel) of the patients' tumors. Accompanying flow cytometry on primary tumor specimens revealed a heterogeneous tumor microenvironment among individual cases and identified M2-like macrophages as positive predictors for engraftment. Vice versa, a high PD-L1 expression (combined positive score on tumor/immune cells) predicted PDX rejection. Conclusion: Including biopsy samples from locally advanced or metastatic lesions from patients with non-surgical treatment strategies, increases the availability of PDX for basic and translational research. This facilitates (pre-) clinical studies for individual response prediction based on immunological biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: PIK3CA mutations are expected to be potential therapeutic targets for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We aimed to clarify the concordance between PIK3CA mutations detected in endoscopic biopsy specimens and corresponding surgically resected specimens.Methods: We examined five hotspot mutations in the PIK3CA gene (E542K, E545K, E546K, H1047R, and H1047L) in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections of paired endoscopic biopsy and surgically resected specimens from 181 patients undergoing curative resection for ESCC between 2000 and 2011 using a Luminex technology-based multiplex gene mutation detection kit.Results: Mutation analyses were successfully performed for both endoscopic biopsy and surgically resected specimens in all the cases. A PIK3CA mutation was detected in either type of specimen in 13 cases (7.2%, 95% confidence interval: 3.9-12.0). The overall concordance rate, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 98.3% (178/181), 90.9% (10/11), and 98.8% (168/170), respectively. Among patients with a PIK3CA mutation detected in both types of specimens, the concordance between PIK3CA mutation genotypes was 100%. There were three cases with a discordant mutation status between the types of specimens (PIK3CA mutation in surgically resected specimen and wild-type in biopsy specimen in two cases, and the opposite pattern in one case), suggesting possible intratumoral heterogeneity in the PIK3CA mutation status.Conclusions: The PIK3CA mutation status was highly concordant between endoscopic biopsy and surgically resected specimens from the same patient, suggesting that endoscopic biopsy specimens can be clinically used to detect PIK3CA mutations in patients with ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intracellular signaling through cyclic nucleotides, both cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP, is altered in colorectal cancer. Accordingly, it is hypothesized that an underlying mechanism for colorectal neoplasia involves altered function of phosphodiesterases (PDEs), which affects cyclic nucleotide degradation. Here we present an approach to evaluate the function of selected cyclic nucleotide-PDEs in colonic endoscopic biopsies from non-neoplastic appearing mucosa.Methods: Biopsies were obtained from patients with and without colorectal neoplasia. Activities of PDEs were characterized functionally by measurements of transepithelial ion transport and their expression and localization by employing real-time qPCR and immunohistochemistry.Results: In functional studies PDE subtype-4 displayed lower activity in colorectal neoplasia patients (p = 0.006). Furthermore, real-time qPCR analysis showed overexpression of subtype PDE4B (p = 0.002) and subtype PDE5A (p = 0.02) in colorectal neoplasia patients. Finally, immunohistochemistry for 7 PDE isozymes demonstrated the presence of all 7 isozymes, albeit with weak reactions, and with no differences in localization between colorectal neoplasia and control patients. Of note, quantification of PDE subtype immunostaining revealed a lower amount of PDE3A (p = 0.04) and a higher amount of PDE4B (p = 0.02) in samples from colorectal neoplasia patients.Conclusion: In conclusion, functional data indicated lower activity of PDE4 subtypes while expressional and abundance data indicated a higher expression of PDE4B in patients with colorectal neoplasia. We suggest that cyclic nucleotide-PDE4B is overexpressed as a malfunctioning protein in non-neoplastic appearing colonic mucosa from patients with colorectal neoplasia. If a predisposition of reduced PDE4B activity in colonic mucosa from colorectal neoplasia patients is substantiated further, this subtype could be a potential novel early diagnostic risk marker and may even be a target for future medical preventive treatment of colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: PIK3CA mutations are expected to be potential therapeutic targets for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We aimed to clarify the concordance between PIK3CA mutations detected in endoscopic biopsy specimens and corresponding surgically resected specimens., Methods: We examined five hotspot mutations in the PIK3CA gene (E542K, E545K, E546K, H1047R, and H1047L) in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections of paired endoscopic biopsy and surgically resected specimens from 181 patients undergoing curative resection for ESCC between 2000 and 2011 using a Luminex technology-based multiplex gene mutation detection kit., Results: Mutation analyses were successfully performed for both endoscopic biopsy and surgically resected specimens in all the cases. A PIK3CA mutation was detected in either type of specimen in 13 cases (7.2%, 95% confidence interval: 3.9-12.0). The overall concordance rate, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 98.3% (178/181), 90.9% (10/11), and 98.8% (168/170), respectively. Among patients with a PIK3CA mutation detected in both types of specimens, the concordance between PIK3CA mutation genotypes was 100%. There were three cases with a discordant mutation status between the types of specimens (PIK3CA mutation in surgically resected specimen and wild-type in biopsy specimen in two cases, and the opposite pattern in one case), suggesting possible intratumoral heterogeneity in the PIK3CA mutation status., Conclusions: The PIK3CA mutation status was highly concordant between endoscopic biopsy and surgically resected specimens from the same patient, suggesting that endoscopic biopsy specimens can be clinically used to detect PIK3CA mutations in patients with ESCC.