title: The minimal carcinoma triple stain is superior to commercially available multiplex immunohistochemical stains: breast triple stain and LC/DC breast cocktail.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Minimal Carcinoma (MC) Triple Stain is a tri-chromogen multiplex immunostain (CK7, p63, and E-cadherin) helpful in classifying morphologically ambiguous and/or small carcinomas as either ductal or lobular and/or in situ or invasive. We compared the utility of this stain with two commercially available duplex/multiplex immunostains: Breast Triple Stain (BTS) (Clarient, Aliso Viejo, CA; CK5, p63, and CK8/18) and LC/DC Breast Cocktail (LCDC) (Biocare, Concord, CA; E-cadherin and p120).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-seven mammary carcinomas stained with the MC Triple Stain, BTS, and LCDC were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MC Triple Stain, LCDC, and BTS were diagnostic in 90 (93%) of 97, 82 (85%) of 97, and 85 (88%) of 97 of cases, respectively. All stains showed decreased diagnostic utility due to variability in tissue integrity, quality of the staining, and/or ease of interpretation. In cases where all immunostains were interpretable, the MC Triple Stain yielded the most information.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When technically sufficient, all three immunostains demonstrated relative strengths and weaknesses in their ability to provide diagnostic information with the highest consistency and ease of use. Many cases stained with LCDC were technically insufficient due to a suboptimal staining protocol provided by the company. Overall, the MC Triple Stain outperformed BTS and LCDC by more consistently providing more diagnostic information. The MC Triple Stain is a viable alternative to other multiplex immunostains in evaluating small foci of carcinoma, particularly when both the histologic type and extent of disease (in situ vs invasive) require clarification.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Paula S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Ginter
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Sonal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Varma
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Yi-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY. sjshin@med.cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Sandra J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
keywords: Breast carcinoma; Cocktail; Ductal; E-cadherin; Immunohistochemistry; Lobular; Multiplex; Needle core biopsy; Triple stain