title: Improving discrimination in the grading of rat mammary tumors using two-dimensional mapping of histopathological observations.
abstract: This work aims at characterizing rat mammary tumors induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) and the respective malignancy potential, commonly graded with histopathology features grouped by intensity levels. Tumors were described over fourteen multiple ranged microscopic parameters and a comprehensive characterization of the histological patterns and their relation with tumor grade was carried out by principal component analysis (PCA). The number of histological patterns present on a tumor tends to correlate with malignant features. High grade tumors are characterized by the presence of several structural patterns, with cribriform prevalence and necrosis. The cribriform pattern correlates with grading, i.e., tumors having a higher predominance of the cribriform pattern are likely to be more malignant. The findings may represent a benchmark for similar characterization studies in other models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Universty School of Vasco da Gama, Castelo Viegas, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: Tânia F G G
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Cova
authors.forename: Alberto A C C
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Pais
authors.forename: Jorge L G F S C
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Colaço
authors.forename: António M S
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cabrita
mesh_terms: D015127:9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005260:Female; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000473:pathology*; D060787:Neoplasm Grading / Q000379:methods*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D015127:9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene
keywords: DMBA; Histological grading; Mammary tumors; Principal component analysis