Prognostic Markers in Breast Cancer

Surgical Pathology Staff

The Surgical Pathology Section provides expertise and diagnostic services in the field of Anatomic Pathology for Clinical Center patients and collaborates with the research staff in those investigations, which involve the use and study of human pathological material. Approximately 6,000 surgical specimens and biopsies (more than 60,000 slides which include routine and a variety of special stains) are accessioned each year. These include more than 2,000 fresh human tissues. Members of the section are primary faculty for the instruction of residents in Surgical Pathology. To assist in providing better patient care, the members of the section also participate in a variety of teaching programs and departmental conferences (Medicine Branch, Surgery Branch, e.g.) in which patient diagnosis and modalities of therapy are discussed. Members also provide consultant services to the community as well as to pathologists throughout the country.

Dr. Merino's interest is in translational research aim to identify new proteins that may be utilize as tumor markers and may have a potential role in diagnosis and treatment of breast, gynecological, and thyroid cancers, as well as other endocrine tumors and renal cell cancer. Dr. Paul Duray is studying Malignant Melanoma, prognostic factors and response to vaccine therapy, and Dr.Martha Quezado is evaluating the Loss of Heterozygosity in brain tumors and its role as a prognostic factor.

Recent Publications

Otis C.N., Quezado M., Bryant B., Sobel M., Merino M.J: LOH in p53, BRCA1 and Estrogen Receptor Genes and correlation to overexpression of p53 Protein in Ovarian Epithelial tumors of Different cell types and Biological behavior. Human Path 31:233-238, 2000.

Robert D. Cardiff, Miriam R. Anver, Barry A.Gusterson, Lothar Heninghausen, Roy A. Jensen, Maria J. Merino, Sabine Rehm, Jose Russo, Lalage M. Wakefield, Jerrold M. Ward, and Jeffery E. Green. . The Mammary Pathology of genetically engineered mice: The consensus report and recommendations from the Annapolis Meeting. Oncogene 19: (8) 968-988 Sp. Iss.21 2000.

Sanz-Ortega J., Saez MC., Sierra E., Torres A., Balibrea J., Sanz-Esponera J., Merino MJ: 3p21, 5q21 and 9p21 allelic deletions are frequently found in normal bronchial cell adjacent to non-small cell lung cancer, while they are unusual in patients with no evidence of malignancy. J of Pathology; 195:429-434, 2001

Collaborators
Marston Linehan MD.; Lynnette Niemann M.D. Sandra Swain M.D.,
Ruth Ann Giusti MD, Nelson Lwarence MD, Nicolas Sarlis MD, Susan Bates MD.

Clinical Trials
* Preliminary comparison of PET with histology and mammography as an
early breast cancer detection approach (Nuclear Medicine)
* A phase I trial of MDX-H210 (humanized anti-Her-2/neu x antiFcgRI)
for treatment of patients with advanced malignancy (Medicine Branch)
* A phase I trial of patients with ovarian cancer with anti-p53 vaccine