The traditional serrated adenoma is the least common colorectal serrated polyp. The clinicopathological features and molecular drivers of these polyps require further investigation. We have prospectively collected a cohort of 200 ordinary and advanced traditional serrated adenomas and performed BRAF and KRAS mutational profiling, CpG island methylator phenotype analysis, and immunohistochemistry for a panel of 7 antibodies (MLH1, b-catenin, p53, p16, Ki67, CK7, and CK20) on all cases. The mean age of the patients was 64 years and 50% were female. Of the polyps, 71% were distal. Advanced histology (overt dysplasia or carcinoma) was present in 19% of cases. BRAF mutation was present in 67% and KRAS mutation in 22%. BRAF mutant traditional serrated adenomas were more frequently proximal (39% versus 2%; Pr0.0001), were exclusively associated with a precursor polyp (57% versus 0%; Pr0.0001), and were more frequently CpG island methylator phenotype high (60% versus 16%; Pr0.0001) than KRAS mutant traditional serrated adenomas. Advanced traditional serrated adenomas retained MLH1 expression in 97%, showed strong p53 staining in 55%, and nuclear b-catenin staining in 40%. P16 staining was lost in the advanced areas of 55% of BRAF mutant traditional serrated adenomas compared with 10% of the advanced areas of KRAS mutant or BRAF/KRAS wildtype traditional serrated adenomas. BRAF and KRAS mutant traditional serrated adenomas are morphologically related but biologically disparate polyps with distinctive clinicopathological and molecular features. The overwhelming majority of traditional serrated adenomas retain mismatch repair enzyme function indicating a microsatellite-stable phenotype. Malignant progression occurs via TP53 mutation and Wnt pathway activation regardless of mutation status. However, CDKN2A (encoding the p16 protein) is silenced nearly exclusively in the advanced areas of the BRAF mutant traditional serrated adenomas. Thus, the BRAF mutant traditional serrated adenoma represents an important precursor of the aggressive BRAF mutant, microsatellite-stable subtype of colorectal carcinoma. The serrated neoplasia pathway accounts for 15 to 35% of colorectal carcinoma. 1-3 Well-established molecular drivers of this pathway are MAP kinase pathway activation, a critical early event resulting from either activating BRAF or KRAS mutation, 4 and the CpG island methylator phenotype, a coordinate methylation of CpG islands in the promoter regions of many genes that results in gene silencing. [4][5][6] The CpG island methylator phenotype is particularly relevant to carcinogenesis when affecting tumorsuppressor genes. 5 MLH1 is the best known of these, with silencing leading to microsatellite instability. This is frequently observed in the malignant transformation of sessile serrated adenomas. However, MLH1 methylation and microsatellite instability are not prerequisites of serrated neoplasia.

Purpose Clinicopathologic data from a population-based endometrial cancer cohort, unselected for age or family history, were analyzed to determine the optimal scheme for identification of patients with germline mismatch repair (MMR) gene mutations. Patients and Methods Endometrial cancers from 702 patients recruited into the Australian National Endometrial Cancer Study (ANECS) were tested for MMR protein expression using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and for MLH1 gene promoter methylation in MLH1-deficient cases. MMR mutation testing was performed on germline DNA of patients with MMR-protein deficient tumors. Prediction of germline mutation status was compared for combinations of tumor characteristics, age at diagnosis, and various clinical criteria (Amsterdam, Bethesda, Society of Gynecologic Oncology, ANECS). Results Tumor MMR-protein deficiency was detected in 170 (24%) of 702 cases. Germline testing of 158 MMR-deficient cases identified 22 truncating mutations (3% of all cases) and four unclassified variants. Tumor MLH1 methylation was detected in 99 (89%) of 111 cases demonstrating MLH1/PMS2 IHC loss; all were germline MLH1 mutation negative. A combination of MMR IHC plus MLH1 methylation testing in women younger than 60 years of age at diagnosis provided the highest positive predictive value for the identification of mutation carriers at 46% versus ≤ 41% for any other criteria considered. Conclusion Population-level identification of patients with MMR mutation-positive endometrial cancer is optimized by stepwise testing for tumor MMR IHC loss in patients younger than 60 years, tumor MLH1 methylation in individuals with MLH1 IHC loss, and germline mutations in patients exhibiting loss of MSH6, MSH2, or PMS2 or loss of MLH1/PMS2 with absence of MLH1 methylation.

SSAs containing dysplasia/carcinoma are predominantly small (<10 mm) and proximal. The mismatch repair status separates these lesions into distinct clinicopathological subgroups, although WNT activation and p16 silencing are common to both. Cases with dysplasia occur at a similar age to cases with carcinoma. This, together with the rarity of these 'caught in the act' lesions, suggests a rapid transition to malignancy following a long dwell time as an SSA without dysplasia.

Mucinous differentiation is associated with both CpG island methylator phenotype and microsatellite instability in colorectal cancer. The mucinous phenotype derives from abundant expression of the colonic goblet cell mucin, MUC2, and de novo expression of gastric foveolar mucin, MUC5AC. We, therefore, investigated the protein expression levels of MUC2 and MUC5AC, as well as MUC5B and MUC6, in molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer. Seven-hundred and twenty-two incident colorectal carcinomas occurring in 702 participants of the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study were characterized for methylator status, MLH1 methylation, somatic BRAF and KRAS mutations, microsatellite-instability status, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2 mismatch repair, and p53 protein expression, and their histopathology was reviewed. Protein expression levels of MUC2, MUC5AC, MUC5B, MUC6, and the putative mucin regulator CDX2 were compared with molecular and clinicopathological features of colorectal cancers using odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals. MUC2 overexpression (425% positive tumor cells) was observed in 33% colorectal cancers, MUC5B expression in 53%, and de novo MUC5AC and MUC6 expression in 50% and 39%, respectively. Co-expression of two or more of the mucins was commonly observed. Expression of MUC2, MUC5AC and MUC6 was strongly associated with features associated with tumorigenesis via the serrated neoplasia pathway, including methylator positivity, somatic BRAF p.V600E mutation, and mismatch repair deficiency, as well as proximal location, poor differentiation, lymphocytic response, and increased T stage (all Po0.001). Overexpression was observed in tumors with and without mucinous differentiation. There were inverse associations between expression of all four mucins and p53 overexpression. CDX2 expression was inversely associated with MUC2, MUC5AC and MUC6 expression. Our results suggest that, in methylator-positive tumors, mucin genes on chromosome 11p15.5 region undergo increased expression via mechanisms other than direct regulation by CDX2.