Human pathologyPub Date : 2025-06-07DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105836
Sherehan Zada, Sumayya Aslam, Sejal Shah, Vishal S Chandan
{"title":"Reassessing the routine histopathological evaluation of anastomotic doughnuts in colorectal procedures: A 10-year retrospective study.","authors":"Sherehan Zada, Sumayya Aslam, Sejal Shah, Vishal S Chandan","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105836","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105836","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Anastomotic doughnuts (ATD) are routinely submitted for pathological evaluation during colorectal surgery despite limited evidence supporting its clinical significance. This retrospective study aimed to analyze the pathological findings and cost-effectiveness of examining ATDs. A total of 870 pairs of ATDs from 870 patients who underwent colorectal surgery between 2012 and 2022 were included in the study. Microscopic examination was performed in all cases, and clinical charts and pathology reports were reviewed. The average cost of processing each case was conservatively estimated at US$ 59, with a total cost of US$ 51,185 during the study period. Of the 870 cases, 317 (36.4 %) were obtained from surgical procedures for benign conditions, whereas 553 (63.6 %) were from procedures related to malignant or neoplastic conditions. In cases of surgery for benign conditions (n = 317), no neoplastic or cancerous changes were observed in the ATDs. Among the malignant cases (n = 553), only 14 (1.6 % of the total 870 cases) showed neoplastic findings, including ovarian/endometrial carcinoma (n = 7), tubular adenoma (n = 4), colonic mucinous adenocarcinoma (n = 1), high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (n = 1), and low-grade B-cell lymphoma (n = 1). However, these findings did not interfere with the postsurgical or clinical management. The results suggest that routine pathological examination of ATDs provides limited clinical benefits and incurs significant costs. Pathology departments and surgeons should consider revising their protocols to limit examinations to a subset of high-risk cases where the results could potentially impact patient outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":" ","pages":"105836"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144257971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Human pathologyPub Date : 2025-06-04DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105826
Raza S Hoda, Gregor Krings
{"title":"Genetic landscapes of breast tumors by next-generation sequencing with focus on less common types and genotype-phenotype correlations.","authors":"Raza S Hoda, Gregor Krings","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105826","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105826","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has transformed our understanding of oncogenic pathways and mutational processes underlying many breast tumors. Although large-scale NGS studies included mostly common invasive breast carcinomas, the genetic landscapes of several less common or rare special histologic types and other breast tumors have now also been elucidated. Many of these lesions harbor highly specific types of mutations or rearrangements/gene fusions, including invasive lobular carcinoma, tall cell carcinoma with reversed polarity, most salivary gland-like neoplasms, fibroepithelial neoplasms, and mesenchymal tumors such as fibromatosis, nodular fasciitis, and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. In some cases, surrogate immunohistochemical or RNA in situ hybridization markers evaluable by light microscopy have been shown to correlate with the underlying genetic alterations. Angiosarcomas and other special breast cancer subtypes, such as triple negative apocrine carcinomas, metaplastic carcinomas, and a subset of ER-positive carcinomas (mucinous and micropapillary carcinomas, neuroendocrine neoplasms) have not been associated with specific genetic underpinnings but are enriched for certain genetic features and oncogenic pathways. The identification of characteristic genetic alterations or their molecular surrogates can be useful to establish an accurate diagnosis, and in some cases, may point to potentially actionable therapeutic targets. This review aims to summarize the genetic landscapes of less common benign and malignant breast tumors, with special attention to genotype-phenotype correlations and to the diagnostic utility of genetics and surrogate markers when applicable. BRCA1/2-associated breast carcinomas will also be discussed due to the association of so-called BRCAness with basal-like histology.</p>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":" ","pages":"105826"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144247660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Human pathologyPub Date : 2025-06-03DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105825
Gregory R Bean, Benjamin C Calhoun
{"title":"Current concepts and controversies in post-neoadjuvant breast pathology.","authors":"Gregory R Bean, Benjamin C Calhoun","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105825","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105825","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This review aims to be a helpful guide for pathologists in summarizing the current concepts and controversies in the reporting of post-neoadjuvant breast carcinoma specimens. It is structured to chronologically detail the relevant points from the initial diagnosis in the pretreatment biopsy to the gross and microscopic evaluation of the posttreatment surgical specimen, with pertinent digressions related to imaging, representative sampling, staging systems, prognostic biomarker testing, and clinical implications of reporting residual disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":" ","pages":"105825"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144233978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"New insights into the adverse prognostic role of squamous differentiation in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: A comprehensive analysis","authors":"Quynh Nguyen Thi , Hiep Nguyen Canh , Zihan Li , Khuyen Nguyen Thi , Kaori Yoshimura , Kenta Takahashi , Rui Yang , Dong Le Thanh , Tram Nguyen Thi , Shintaro Yagi , Kenichi Harada","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105824","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105824","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Squamous differentiation is uncommon in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) with limited systematic studies in the literature, mostly case reports. The study aimed to determine the rate of squamous differentiation in iCCA utilizing markers p63, Keratin 5/6, and p40, and to examine its correlation with clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Methods and results</h3><div>A retrospective analysis was performed on 147 patients with histologically confirmed iCCA based on surgical specimens. A sample was classified as having squamous differentiation if it exhibited a solid growth pattern of polygonal tumor cells with keratinization or a solid growth pattern with at least the positivity of two of the three abovementioned markers. The rate of squamous differentiation in iCCA was determined to be 12.9 % (19/147). p40 demonstrates the highest sensitivity and specificity for identifying squamous differentiation in iCCA, recorded at 94.7 % and 87.5 %, respectively. Squamous differentiation in iCCA was found to be associated with large tumor size, large bile duct subtype, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma component, activated tumor microenvironment, tumor necrosis, high tumor budding, increased invasiveness, and advanced pT stages. Patients with greater than 30 % squamous differentiation had significantly shorter median overall survival and disease-free survival than controls.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These results suggest that squamous differentiation serves as an unfavorable prognosis factor in iCCA, and a threshold of 30 % for the squamous differentiation component can be considered to classify a tumor as adenosquamous carcinoma in iCCA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":"160 ","pages":"Article 105824"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144198891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Human pathologyPub Date : 2025-06-01DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105837
Fangfang Zhong , Zuocheng Ren , Wei Li , Terrell Jones , Xianxu Zeng , Shuni Wang , Xiang Tao , Chengquan Zhao
{"title":"The sensitivity and specificity of Claudin18.2 and MUC6 in the differential diagnosis of endocervical gastric-type glandular lesions","authors":"Fangfang Zhong , Zuocheng Ren , Wei Li , Terrell Jones , Xianxu Zeng , Shuni Wang , Xiang Tao , Chengquan Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105837","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105837","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Endocervical gastric-type adenocarcinoma (GAS) when well-differentiated or with less mucin may lead to misdiagnosis, particularly in biopsy specimens. This study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of Claudin18.2 and MUC6 in the diagnosis of GAS and its precursor lesions. 167 cases from the Department of Pathology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University (OGHFU) were selected, including 43 cases of usual type endocervical adenocarcinoma (UEA), 43 cases of GAS, 20 lobular endocervical glandular hyperplasia (LEGH) cases, 21 atypical LEGH (ALEGH) cases, and 40 normal/benign cases. A panel of immunohistochemical stains (IHC) for Claudin18.2, MUC6, P53, and P16 were performed on all cases. IHC expression in >5 % tumor cells was considered positive for Claudin18.2 and MUC6. An IHC composite score was calculated by multiplying the individual scores of extents by intensity. P53 was considered positive/mutant with the presence of strong nuclear reactivity in ≥75 % of cells (overexpression), was completely negative (null expression), or showed cytoplasmic staining. P16 was considered positive if diffuse block-type staining. Claudin18.2 was positive in all cases of LEGH and ALEGH and 83.7 % (36/43) GAS cases but was negative in all UEA and benign cases. MUC6 was positive in all LEGH and ALEGH cases, 88.4 % (38/43) of GAS cases, as well as 40.0 % (16/40) of benign and 20.9 % (9/43) of UEA cases. P53 mutant expression was found in 62.8 % (27/43) of GAS cases, 10 of which showed P16 diffuse staining and 10 of which were completely negative for P16. The composite scores of both Claudin18.2 and MUC6 were higher in ALEGH/LEGH than in GAS. Claudin 18.2 is a sensitive and specific marker for cervical gastric-type glandular lesions, not expressed in normal cervical tissues but expressed in all of the LEGH/ALEGH cases. However, it was not helpful in differentiating GAS from ALEGH. MUC6 is a highly sensitive marker for LEGH and GAS, yet its specificity is much lower than that of Claudin18.2. Taking morphology as the cornerstone and combining immunomarkers such as P16, P53, Claudin18.2 and MUC6 can significantly enhance the diagnostic efficiency of gastric-type glandular lesions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":"160 ","pages":"Article 105837"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144239370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Human pathologyPub Date : 2025-06-01DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105813
Sounak Gupta , Surendra Dasari , Wei Shen , Hussam Al-Kateb , Emily G. Barr Fritcher , Nate R. Torell , Leah M. Nelson , Yelena Kalugina , Kingsley Ebare , Melissa L. Stanton , Santosh Menon , Burak Tekin , Rumeal D. Whaley , Loren P. Herrera Hernandez , Aditya Raghunathan , Rafael E. Jimenez , Benjamin R. Kipp , Lori A. Erickson , John C. Cheville
{"title":"Morphologic and immunophenotypic characterization of conventional FLCN-mutated tumors (FMT) compared to a series of 8 non-conventional FMT","authors":"Sounak Gupta , Surendra Dasari , Wei Shen , Hussam Al-Kateb , Emily G. Barr Fritcher , Nate R. Torell , Leah M. Nelson , Yelena Kalugina , Kingsley Ebare , Melissa L. Stanton , Santosh Menon , Burak Tekin , Rumeal D. Whaley , Loren P. Herrera Hernandez , Aditya Raghunathan , Rafael E. Jimenez , Benjamin R. Kipp , Lori A. Erickson , John C. Cheville","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105813","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105813","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Recent studies suggest that hybrid oncocytoma/chromophobe tumors in Birt-Hogg-Dubé Syndrome (BHD) may instead represent unique tumors. We performed histologic assessment of <em>FLCN</em>-mutated tumors (FMT) to better separate conventional (c-FMT) from non-conventional tumors (nc-FMT), as the latter can behave aggressively.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Histologic features of c-FMT were compared to 8 nc-FMT. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) of representative FMT and morphologic mimics was quantified using H-scores (range: 0–300). Molecular profiling of nc-FMT included NGS, chromosomal microarrays, and FISH for <em>TFE3/TFEB</em>.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A single c-FMT was identified in the setting of Smith-Magenis Syndrome (germline terminal 17p microdeletion associated with a second hit of <em>FLCN</em>). nc-FMT accounted for a minority of FMT in 25 patients (8/89, 9 %), had a mean size of 8.0 cm, and they exhibited papillary and microcystic features in 3/8 (38 %) patients, each. Germline <em>FLCN</em> alterations were confirmed in 4 BHD patients with nc-FMT, and biallelic <em>FLCN</em> inactivation was documented for 7/8 (88 %) nc-FMT. Screening IHC showed inconsistent results in nc-FMT compared to c-FMT for SOX9 (mean H-score: 60 vs 208) as opposed to mean H-scores for L1CAM (187 vs 176) and GPNMB (266 vs 267). Two nc-FMT with variable levels of <em>TFEB</em> gain/amplification showed aggressive behavior. Positivity for markers such as cathepsin K/melan A was only seen for a <em>TFEB</em>-amplified nc-FMT, suggesting that such markers may have a role in screening for aggressive nc-FMT.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our results can serve as a framework for the development of essential diagnostic criteria for c-FMT, and their separation from nc-FMT which can occasionally show aggressive behavior associated with <em>TFEB</em> amplification.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":"160 ","pages":"Article 105813"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144142439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Immunostaining for polycomb group protein EZH2 as a diagnostic tool to differentiate urothelial carcinoma in situ from benign lesions","authors":"Toshihiko Iizuka , Ayataka Ishikawa , Noriko Motoi , Hiroaki Kanda , Yukio Kageyama","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105823","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105823","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urothelial carcinoma in situ (CIS) is a flat-type noninvasive urothelial carcinoma. Appropriate diagnosis of CIS is important because treatment options depend on the diagnosis. However, it is often difficult to differentiate CIS from benign lesions, especially reactive atypia. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a component of the polycomb repressor complex 2 that is involved in carcinogenesis by epigenetically regulating gene expression levels. The protein is highly expressed in various malignancies, including urothelial carcinoma. We hypothesized that immunostaining for EZH2 is useful to differentiate urothelial CIS from benign lesions.</div><div>In the first analysis, we performed immunostaining for EZH2 and existing CIS markers (CK20, p53, Ki67, and AMACR/P504S) using 22 surgical specimens that could be easily differentiated morphologically as CIS or reactive atypical epithelium, thereby not requiring immunohistochemistry. EZH2 showed higher sensitivity and equal or better specificity than the existing markers. In the second analysis, we used 42 transurethral resection of bladder tumor or biopsy specimens for which diagnoses were difficult to establish based on morphology alone and required immunostaining for CK20 and p53. EZH2 showed higher sensitivity but somewhat lower specificity than the existing markers. In the third analysis, immunostaining for EZH2 was performed using 27 specimens of benign lesions other than reactive atypical epithelium, including inverted papilloma, nephrogenic adenoma, and cystitis glandularis. These lesions also showed minimal EZH2 staining.</div><div>These results suggest that immunostaining for EZH2 is useful in the diagnosis of urothelial CIS, particularly as a marker with superior sensitivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":"160 ","pages":"Article 105823"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144204244","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Human pathologyPub Date : 2025-05-30DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105822
Roselyne Choiniere, Jeffrey Damman, Geert J L H van Leenders
{"title":"Penile cysts: A review of clinicopathological features and differential diagnosis.","authors":"Roselyne Choiniere, Jeffrey Damman, Geert J L H van Leenders","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105822","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105822","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Uncommon and seldom discussed in the literature, the diagnosis of penile cysts relies on morphology and clinical correlation. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the clinicopathological features and differential diagnosis of benign cysts encountered on penile glans, foreskin and shaft. We discuss in more detail the median raphe cyst with its many names and patterns. The aim of this review is to outline the diagnostic considerations and provide practical guidance for pathologists in diagnosing benign penile cysts.</p>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":" ","pages":"105822"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144198892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Human pathologyPub Date : 2025-05-27DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105819
Sneha Datwani, Hikmat Khan, Muhammad Khalid Khan Niazi, Anil V Parwani, Zaibo Li
{"title":"Artificial intelligence in breast pathology: Overview and recent updates.","authors":"Sneha Datwani, Hikmat Khan, Muhammad Khalid Khan Niazi, Anil V Parwani, Zaibo Li","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105819","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105819","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Breast cancer remains a major global health concern where timely and accurate pathologic diagnosis is critical for effective management. The traditional reliance on expert interpretation of histopathology is increasingly challenged by rising workloads, inter-observer variability, and the complexity of current precision pathology. The advent of digital pathology through whole slide imaging (WSI) has enabled the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into breast pathology practice, offering promising solutions to these challenges. This review explores the major advancements of AI in breast pathology, including its applications in diagnosis and classification, histological grading, lymph node metastasis detection, and biomarker quantification (ER, PR, HER2, Ki-67, and others). We also discuss AI's emerging roles in prognosis, treatment response, tumor microenvironment analysis, and the discovery of novel biomarkers. Despite the significant progress, barriers such as data quality, generalizability, model interpretability, regulatory challenges, and integration into clinical workflows remain. Future directions emphasize the development of foundation models, multimodal data integration, explainable AI, real-world clinical validation, and decentralized learning approaches. With careful navigation of these challenges and continued interdisciplinary collaboration, AI is poised to transform breast pathology and advance patient care.</p>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":" ","pages":"105819"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144179958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Human pathologyPub Date : 2025-05-27DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105820
Huina Zhang, Madhurya Ramineni, Xiaoxian Li
{"title":"Estrogen receptor-low positive breast cancer: Historical perspective and recent advancements.","authors":"Huina Zhang, Madhurya Ramineni, Xiaoxian Li","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105820","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.105820","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The assessment of estrogen receptor (ER) expression in breast cancer, has traditionally been performed using ligand-binding assays, followed by immunohistochemistry, and is widely used to predict tumor response to endocrine therapy. ER-low positive breast cancer, formally defined in the 2020 ASCO/CAP testing guidelines, represents a small subset of invasive breast cancers characterized by 1 %-10 % of ER staining. Emerging evidence suggests that ER-low positive tumors constitute a heterogeneous group in terms of clinicopathologic features, molecular profiles, prognosis, and responsiveness to endocrine therapy. These tumors frequently behave more like ER-negative cancers, often displaying a more aggressive clinical course compared to classic ER-positive tumors. The clinical benefit of endocrine therapy in this subset remains uncertain, posing a significant challenge in determining the optimal treatment strategies. This review offers both a historical perspective and a comprehensive, up-to-date analysis of recent advancements in the understanding of ER-low positive breast cancer, with a focus on tumor biology, pathological evaluation, and clinical implications.</p>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":" ","pages":"105820"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144182161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}