title: Cell size as a prognostic factor in oncocytic poorly differentiated carcinomas of the thyroid.
abstract: Histological and cytological criteria in predicting clinical outcomes in patients with oncocytic poorly differentiated carcinoma (PDC) of the thyroid were investigated. In a set of 102 PDC patients, we performed a computer-assisted evaluation of cell size based on two different methods. Univariate analysis showed that cell size was a discriminant prognostic parameter in oncocytic PDC (30 cases) but not in the non-oncocytic carcinoma cases (72 cases). Patients with oncocytic PDC with small-medium cell size had a significantly increased risk of death (P = .029) and a decrease of disease-free survival (P = .014). This correlation was absent in cases of non-oncocytic PDC, where age and extensive vascular invasion were significant indicators of progression. The proposed morphological signature shows a robust discriminatory ability when tested on the oncocytic PDC group, and cell size assessment could thus be proposed as an inexpensive and readily evaluable parameter for predicting prognosis and planning therapy in this tumor type.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Surgical Pathology Section, University of Bologna, 40126 Italy. Electronic address: sofia.asioli3@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asioli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Rizzoli Institute, Bologna, 40136, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Righi
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University of Turin, San Luigi Hospital, Turin, 10043, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Volante
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, 10126, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chiusa
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53792, USA.
authors.forename: Ricardo V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, 10126, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bussolati
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D048429:Cell Size; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cell size; Oncocytic; Poorly differentiated carcinomas; Prognosis; Thyroid