The clinical utility of miR-215 as a potential biomarker in colon cancer was investigated. The levels of miR-215 were quantified by real-time qRT-PCR in 34 paired normal and tumor specimens. The expression levels of miR-215 were decreased in colon tumors, and were associated with patient survival. Thus, miR-215 is a potential prognostic biomarker in colon cancer. Background We have previously shown that miR-215 suppressed the expression of key targets such as thymidylate synthase (TS), dihydrofolate reductase, and denticleless protein homolog (DTL) in colon cancer. miR-215 is a tumor suppressor candidate due to the upregulation of p53 and p21 by targeting DTL. However, high levels of miR-215 conferred chemoresistance due to cell cycle arrest and reduced cell proliferation by suppressing DTL. In this study, the clinical significance of miR-215 was further investigated as a potential prognostic biomarker in colon cancer patients. Methods Total RNAs were extracted from 34 paired normal and colon (stage II and III) tumor specimens using the Trizol-based approach. The levels of miR-215 and a closely related miR-192 were quantified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) expression analysis. The expression of DTL mRNA and protein were quantified by real time qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Results The expression levels of miR-192 (P = .0008) and miR-215 (P < .0001) were significantly decreased in colon tumors compared with normal tissues. DTL was significantly over-expressed and was inversely correlated with miR-215, further suggesting an in vivo physiologic relevance of miR-215 mediated DTL suppression. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis by Cox regression revealed that high levels of miR-215 expression (hazard ratio, 3.516; 95% confidence interval, 1.007–12.28, P = .025) are closely associated with poor patient’s overall survival. Furthermore, an elevated expression of a miR-215 target protein DTL was detected in colon cancer tissues whereas no expression was present in normal tissues. Conclusion miR-215 has a unique potential as a prognostic biomarker in stage II and III colon cancer.

N Context.-Voice recognition technology (VRT) has been in use for medical transcription outside of laboratories for many years, and in recent years it has evolved to a level where it merits consideration by surgical pathologists.Objective.-To determine the feasibility and impact of making a transition from a transcriptionist-based service to VRT in surgical pathology.Design.-We have evaluated VRT in a phased manner for sign out of general and subspecialty surgical pathology cases after conducting a pilot study. We evaluated the effect on turnaround time, workflow, staffing, typographical error rates, and the overall ability of VRT to be adapted for use in surgical pathology.Results.-The stepwise implementation of VRT has resulted in real-time sign out of cases and improvement in average turnaround time from 4 to 3 days. The percentage of cases signed out in 1 day improved from 22% to 37%. Amendment rates for typographical errors have decreased. Use of templates and synoptic reports has been facilitated. The transcription staff has been reassigned to other duties and is successfully assisting in other areas. Resident involvement and exposure to complete case sign out has been achieved resulting in a positive impact on resident education.Conclusions.-Voice recognition technology allows for a seamless workflow in surgical pathology, with improvements in turnaround time and a positive impact on competency-based resident education. Individual practices may assess the value of VRT and decide to implement it, potentially with gains in many aspects of their practice. although it was not adapted for widespread use by physicians until more recently. Voice recognition technology has been successfully used in many specialties, particularly in radiology. There have been some studies that compared VRT with human transcriptionists in different medical practices and specialties, with varied results regarding turnaround time (TAT). 2-7However, there have been only a few studies comparing the use of voice recognition software with transcription services for surgical pathology. A study from the Cleveland Clinic 8 (Cleveland, Ohio) in 2002 reported the potential financial benefits and its experience with the implementation of VRT into surgical pathology. In 2003, a group in Ontario 1 reported that VRT had a lower accuracy and required more editing time than use of their human transcription service. A recent study at University of Pittsburgh 9 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) demonstrated benefits regarding TAT and error reduction when using VRT for gross descriptions and final surgical pathology reports. As there have been ongoing improvements in software and hardware, it is reasonable to assume that previous studies may underestimate the current value of using VRT.We have evaluated and completed phased implementation of VRT for use by pathologists' assistants, residents, and attending pathologists on our general and subspecialty surgical pathology services. The aims of this study were to evaluate the impact of VRT on TAT, to determine t...

Changes in practice, such as obtaining dedicated passes for ancillary studies, may not be enough to improve the theranostic utility of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration in pancreatic neoplasia. Other methods to improve tumor cell yield, including modified cytologic techniques and new needle designs, need to be further investigated.