2004 Summer Meeting - Amsterdam - The Pathological Society of ...

125
Assessing Inter-observer Variation In The Reporting Of Local
Peritoneal Involvement (LPI) In pT3 and pT4 Colon
Carcinoma
S. E Littleford , A Baird , A Cairns , O Rotimi , C Verbeke , N
Scott
Leeds General Infirmary and St. James's University Hospital, Leeds,
United Kingdom
Background and Aim: LPI has been found to be one of the strongest
independent predictors of recurrence of Dukes’ B colon cancer and provides a
potential means of selecting patients for adjuvant therapy. However, substantial
variation in the frequency of LPI reporting has been documented between
histopathology departments. Shepherd et al. have proposed a grading system for
the assessment of LPI. This study aimed to validate this grading system by
determining the degree of inter-observer variation in the reporting of LPI.
Methods: 60 cases of pT3 and pT4 colon carcinomas diagnosed in 2001 were
identified from a pathology database. Three specialist gastrointestinal
pathologists independently assessed representative H & E slides of the closest
tumour proximity to the peritoneal surface according to Shepherd et al. Kappa
statistics were performed to assess the degree of inter-observer agreement.
Results: Inter-observer agreement on LPI grading ranged from = 0.60
(moderate) to = 0.83 (almost perfect).
Conclusions: This study validates the proposed grading system for LPI. Using
this grading system there is excellent agreement between specialist
gastrointestinal pathologists in the reporting of LPI in patients with pT3 and
pT4 colon carcinoma. This grading system can therefore be recommended to
assess LPI in these patients.
126
Analysis Of DNA Copy-Number Changes At 8q23-q24 In
Colorectal Cancer By MLPA
T.E. Buffart 1 , J. Coffa 1 , M.A.JA Hermsen 1 , B. Carvalho 1 ,
J.P. Schouten 2 , G. Pals 2 , B. Ylstra 3 , G.A. Meijer 1
1 Dept. Pathology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam,
Netherlands, 2 MRC-Holland, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 3 Micro-array
Core Facility, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
C-myc (8q24.1) and PRL-3 (8q24.3) were found to be amplified in colorectal
cancer metastasis. In addition, other oncogenes at 8q23-24 might be involved.
The present study aims to analyse DNA copy number changes at 8q23-24 in
colorectal cancer at high resolution in correlation to metastatic disease.
DNA from 32 primary colorectal tumours and corresponding liver metastasis
(when present) was isolated. A chromosome 8 specific MLPA probe mixture
was used.
Significant differences in DNA copy number were found in the genes MOS
(p=0.04), MYC (p=0.01), DDEF1 (p