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We report a case of primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the prostate in a 54-year-old Caucasian male who presented with urinary retention and benign prostatic hyperplasia. We discuss the rare presentation of this disease and its clinicopathologic features and review the literature for up-to-date information on the diagnosis and clinical management. Despite the low incidence of lymphoma involving the prostate gland, it should always be considered as part of the differential diagnosis in cases of prostate gland enlargement with urinary tract obstructive symptoms resistant to medical therapy. Treatment modalities for this rare disease are also discussed.

Purpose Successful immuno-oncology research over the past few decades has driven the widespread clinical application of immune checkpoint inhibition, the activation of the bodies’ immune system to combat malignant tumor cells, in the management of various cancers. The utilization of the checkpoint inhibition mechanism in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) became the standard second-line therapy in 2015 with the FDA approval of Nivolumab and Pembrolizumab. Design This review provides a synopsis of the existing knowledge of the role of the immune system in the pathogenesis of malignant tumors and examines the mechanism of action of immune therapies, as well as discussing the data from the clinical studies responsible for the approval of immune checkpoint inhibition in the treatment of advanced NSCLC. Results Three recently-approved drugs: Nivolumab, Pembrolizumab and Atezolizumab, and Durvalumab, currently under FDA review, have shown favorable overall survival, overall response rate, duration of response and/or toxicity/safety profiles in a number of single agent and combination therapy clinical trials compared to standard of care platinum-based doublet chemotherapies for advanced NSCLC patients who have metastatic disease, have failed standard-of-care therapy, or are treatment-naive. Conclusion Current and future research will focus on novel immunotherapeutic agents and additional drug combination trials, as well as investigating tumor-specific biomarkers, including PD-L1 expression and other immune signatures, to predict which patients may best benefit from the new checkpoint inhibition drug regimens. In the near future, clinicians will have more choices of potential first line treatment regimens for NSCLC patients, and eventually targeted therapies and immunotherapy may prove more efficacious and safer than current platinum-based chemotherapy.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm resulting from the fusion of the BCR-ABL genes, forming the Philadelphia chromosome. The diagnosis is often suspected when there is leukocytosis with left shift and basophilia. Confirmation of the diagnosis requires a demonstration of BCR-ABL by polymerase chain reaction. Using data from the William Beaumont laboratory data registry, we conducted a retrospective review of all the orders for BCR-ABL tests sent to the clinical pathology laboratory between March 11, 2014 and September 12, 2014. We concluded that the presence of concurrent neutrophilia and basophilia has a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI, 69.15% to 100%) and specificity of 100% (95% CI, 93.15% to 100%) in the initial diagnosis of CML. Our results suggest that the presence of both neutrophilia and basophilia should be used as a threshold for the placement of orders for BCR-ABL in the initial diagnosis of CML in patients with leukocytosis with left shift and provide a basis for a reduction in health care spending. Restricting BCR-ABL tests to this population would save approximately $198 million annually in national health care spending.

Background Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) genes are associated with an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers in women. The cancer characteristics of men with BRCA1/2 mutations are less well studied. This study describes the unique cancer characteristics of male BRCA1/2 mutation carriers at our institution. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review on male patients who were seen between January 2004 and December 2014 and tested positive for a BRCA1/2 mutation. We evaluated clinical characteristics, pathology findings, treatment selection and survival. Results A total of 102 male patients were identified who tested positive for a BRCA1/2 deleterious mutation. Of these 102 patients, 33 (32%) had a diagnosis of cancer. Of these 33 patients with cancer, the majority (20 patients) were found to carry a BRCA2 mutation. Median age of cancer diagnosis was 65 years (Range: 35-75 years). Of the 33 patients diagnosed with cancer, 8 had two or more cancers, including 1 patient who had 4 cancers. Prostate cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer, seen in 13 patients, 11 of whom were BRCA2 positive. These cancers tended to have higher Gleason scores and elevated PSA levels. The majority of these prostate cancer patients were alive and disease free at a median follow-up of 7.4 years. Male breast cancer was the second most common cancer seen in 9 patients, all of whom were BRCA2 positive. The majority of these cancers were high grade, hormone receptor positive and associated with lymph node metastases. There were no breast cancer related deaths. Other cancers included bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, melanoma and other skin cancers. Conclusions This study describes the cancer characteristics and outcomes of male BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. A third of male BRCA1/2 mutation carriers had a diagnosis of cancer. A significant number of patients (mostly BRCA2 mutation positive) developed multiple cancers, which may have important implications for cancer screening and prevention. Despite having high grade histology and advanced stage at diagnosis, male BRCA1/2 mutation carriers with breast and prostate cancer demonstrated a favorable 5-year survival.

We report a case of a small-cell variant of anaplastic large-cell lymphoma, with an unusual clinical presentation mimicking sepsis and a fulminant clinic course, in a 48-year-old Caucasian female. In this report, we discuss the diagnostic challenge, histopathologic features, and unique cytogenetic features of this case, in order to raise awareness of this rare presentation and emphasize the importance of meticulous peripheral smear examination and early bone marrow evaluation.