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Nassar, Aziza

0000-0002-6678-9329

Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic

Citations 73

N0937(Alliance): Final clinical results and correlative data from the phase II trial of cisplatin (C) and the novel agent brostallicin (B) in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC).
Moreno‐Aspitia, Alvaro , Liu, Heshan , Rowland, Kendrith M. , Geiger, Xochiquetzal J., Stella, Philip J., Kourlas, Peter J., Gross, Howard M., Karlin, Nina J. , Bury, Martin J., Soori, Gamini S. , Perez, Edith A. , Hillman, David W. , Nassar, Aziza

Journal of Clinical Oncology | March 11, 2020 | Volume: 31 | Issue: 15_suppl | Pages: 1059-1059

10.1200/jco.2013.31.15_suppl.1059 Get It

1059 Background: Relapsed TNBC is characterized by its poor prognosis. B is a synthetic DNA minor groove binding non-cross resistant agent that is fully active against DNA-mismatch repair deficient tumor cells. C increases GSH/GST in which enhances the efficacy of B. Methods: Phase II study in pts with mTNBC. C Day 1 followed by B Day 2, repeated every 21 days. Aim: Efficacy of C + B in mTNBC. Primary endpoint: PFS at 3 mo. Secondary endpoints include ORR, duration of response (DOR), 6-mo PFS, OS and AE profile. Tertiary endpoints include assessment of baseline GSH levels, prevalence of BCRA1 mutation and pERK, and correlations with outcome. Results: Closed 3/2012. 48 pts accrued (1 ineligible pt). Median f/u 11.4 mo (6.6-14.8); 2 pts still on treatment. 47 pts evaluable for the PFS endpoint and AEs. 49% received therapy as 3rd-5th line. Median number of cycles = 4 (range 1-15). There are currently 9 confirmed responses (8 PR and 1 CR); DOR = 2.6-14.5 mo. The 3-mo PFS = 51%; 6-mo PFS = 28%; the median TTP is 3.2 mo. AE data: 75% G3/4 hematologic AE: febrile neutropenia 19%. Non-hematologic AEs included G3 (47%) and G4 (15%): G3 fatigue 17%; and no G5 non-heme AE. No correlation of GSH/GST levels with outcome was found. Among 35 pts with evaluable data, no association between BRCA1 expression and outcomes was found. pERK expression was negatively associated with 3-mo PFS, but not 6-mo PFS. Cytoplasmic pERK expression was negatively associated with tumor response (p=0.03). No significant effect of BRCA-1 or pERK expression was found on OS. Conclusions: This trial showed B + C is an active regimen, especially in heavily pretreated mTNBC pts. Correlative data demonstrated a negative association between pERK expression and outcomes. A randomized phase II trial is in development. Clinical trial information: NCT01091454.
Cytology of the fallopian tube: A screening model for high-grade serous carcinoma
Dhanani, Maya, Charles, Mélissa S., Dinh, Tri, Nassar, Aziza

CytoJournal | November 12, 2018 | Volume: 15 | Issue: No issue available | Pages: 28

10.4103/cytojournal.cytojournal_58_17 Get It

Ovarian cancer is a heterogeneous disease having the highest gynecologic fatality in the United States with a 5-year survival rate of 46.5%. Poor overall prognosis is mostly attributed to inadequate screening tools, and the majority of diagnoses occur at late stages of the disease. Due to genetic and biological underpinnings, ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSC) have etiologic evidence in the distal fallopian tube. Fallopian tube screening modalities are aggressively investigated, but few describe cytological characteristics of benign tubal specimens to help in the comparative detection of HGSC precursor cells. Here, we describe fimbrial cytomorphological and nuclear features of tubal specimens (n = 75) from patients clinically indicated for salpingectomy, bilateral or unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and hysterectomies for any diagnosis other than ovarian or peritoneal cancer. Fallopian tube histology was used as the diagnostic reference. A total of 75 samples had benign diagnoses. The benign cytological characteristics of fimbrial tubal specimens included ciliated cells in clustered arrangements with mild nuclear membrane irregularity, mild anisonucleosis, round and/or oval nuclei, hyperchromatic chromatin, and mild nuclear membrane irregularity. In contrast, none of the cytology samples had spindle-shaped nuclei, significantly marked anisonucleosis (n = 1), nor had hypochromasia as a characteristic feature. These cytological characteristics could be a potential area of distinction from HGSC precursor cells. Our study establishes cytomorphological characteristics of nonmalignant tubal cells which help underscore the importance of distinguishing malignant HGSC precursors through fimbrial brush sampling in minimally invasive approach.
Adult exogenous lipoid pneumonia: A rare and underrecognized entity in cytology – A case series
Tazelaar, Henry D. , Crapanzano, John P. , Sung, Simon , Tazelaar, Henry D. , Nassar, Aziza , Saqi, Anjali

CytoJournal | July 13, 2018 | Volume: 15 | Issue: No issue available | Pages: 17

10.4103/cytojournal.cytojournal_29_17 Get It

Background: Exogenous lipoid pneumonia (ELP) is a rare benign entity without specific clinical or imaging presentation. Although cytological studies – either bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) or fine-needle aspiration (FNA) – may be pursued in patients with ELP, a definitive diagnosis is frequently rendered only on histology. The aim of this study is to highlight the cytological features of ELP. Methods: A search of cytopathology (CP) and surgical pathology (SP) diagnoses of ELP was conducted. The corresponding clinical and imaging features were obtained, and the morphology, particularly the presence and size of the intracytoplasmic vacuoles and background, was assessed. Results: Nine cases of ELP were identified, including eight with corresponding CP and SP. A neoplasm was suspected in three based on imaging, but ELP was not in the differential clinically or radiographically in any. Among the cases, six patients had BALs and three FNAs. All of the samples showed multiple large vacuoles within macrophages with at least some equal to or larger than the size of the cell nucleus. Similar vacuoles were noted extracellularly on smears. Conclusions: ELP is typically described in case reports in the clinical or radiological literature. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the largest series of adult ELP in CP. When large vacuoles are present in macrophages in cytology specimens, at least a suspicion of ELP can be suggested to initiate appropriate therapy, identify/remove the inciting agent, and preclude a more invasive procedure.
Significance of finding benign endometrial cells in women 40–45 versus 46 years or older on Papanicolaou tests and histologic follow-up
Colletti, Shanna, Tranesh, Ghassan , Colletti, Shanna M, Tranesh, Ghassan A, Nassar, Aziza

CytoJournal | September 25, 2017 | Volume: 14 | Issue: No issue available | Pages: 22

10.4103/cytojournal.cytojournal_16_17 Get It

Background: The 2014 Bethesda System recommends reporting the finding of benign-appearing, exfoliated endometrial cells on Papanicolaou (Pap) tests in women aged 45 years and older. We aimed to determine the significance of normal endometrial cells on liquid-based Pap tests in women aged 40 years and older and to correlate this finding with clinical factors and cytologic/histologic follow-up. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively identified all women aged 40 years and older who had benign endometrial cells (BECs) on Pap tests at our institution during a 6-year period. Histologic follow-up and outcomes were evaluated. Results: Among 18,850 Pap tests during the study period, 255 (1.4%) had findings of BECs and 159 (62.4%) of these women had follow-up Pap tests or subsequent tissue sampling by surgical procedures. Of the 159 cases, only 4 (2.5%) had significant endometrial pathologic processes, all endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma (three women had postmenopausal bleeding and 1 was perimenopausal with menorrhagia). No women between ages 40 and 45 years had significant pathologic findings and only one woman between 46 and 50 years (47 years) had an endometrial endometrioid carcinoma (1.5%). Women older than 47 years have higher odds (5.38) of having a significant endometrial lesion (P = 0.029) than those who are ≤47. Conclusion: Clinically significant endometrial lesions occurred predominantly in women older than 50 years (4.6%) and in only one woman between ages 46 and 50 years (1.5%). Therefore, endometrial sampling should be performed in women aged 47 years and older with BECs, especially when additional clinical indicators (e.g., postmenopausal bleeding) are recognized.
EGFR as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in ovarian cancer: evaluation of patient cohort and literature review
Mehner, Christine , Oberg, Ann L. , Goergen, Krista M., Kalli, Kimberly R., Goode, Ellen L. , Keeney, Gary L., Jatoi, Aminah , Radisky, Evette S. , Radisky, Derek C. , Maurer, Matthew J. , Nassar, Aziza , Radisky, Evette S

Genes & Cancer | July 1, 2017 | Volume: 8 | Issue: 5-6 | Pages: 589-599

10.18632/genesandcancer.142 Get It

Gene signature model for breast cancer risk prediction for women with sclerosing adenosis.
Anderson, S. Keith , Oberg, Ann L. , Frank, Ryan D. , Frost, Marlene H., Visscher, Daniel W., Radisky, Derek C. , Degnim, Amy C. , Nassar, Aziza , Stallings‐Mann, Melody , Winham, Stacey J. , Vierkant, Robert A. , Wang, Chen

Journal of Clinical Oncology | February 24, 2017 | Volume: 33 | Issue: 28_suppl | Pages: 18-18

10.1200/jco.2015.33.28_suppl.18 Get It

18 Background: Benign breast disease (BBD) is diagnosed in 1-2 million women/year in the US, and while these patients are known to be at substantially increased risk for subsequent development of breast cancer, existing models for risk assessment perform poorly at the individual level. Here, we describe a DNA-microarray-based transcriptional model for breast cancer risk prediction for patients with sclerosing adenosis (SA), a lesion found in ¼ of all BBD patients that is characterized by epithelial proliferation, disordered acinar architecture, and stromal fibrosis. Methods: A training set was developed from 86 patients diagnosed with sclerosing adenosis (SA), of which 27 subsequently developed cancer within 10 years (cases) and 59 remained cancer-free at 10 years (controls). A diagonal linear discriminate analysis (DLDA)-prediction model for prediction of cancer within 10 years (SA TTC10) was generated from transcriptional profiles of formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biopsy-derived RNA. This model was tested on a separate validation case-control set composed of 65 SA patients. Results: The SA TTC10 gene signature model, composed of 35 gene features, achieved a clear and significant separation between case and control with receiver operating characteristic area under the curve of 0.913 in the training set and 0.836 in the validation set. Conclusions: Our results provide the first demonstration that benign breast tissue contains transcriptional alterations that indicate risk of breast cancer development, and that essential precursor biomarkers of malignancy are present many years prior to cancer development. Furthermore, the SA TTC10 gene signature model, which can be assessed on FFPE biopsies, constitutes a novel prognostic biomarker for patients with SA.
Primary Hepatic Neuroendocrine Tumor with Unusual Thyroid Follicular-Like Morphologic Characteristics
Ibrahim, Mohd Elmugtaba , Abadeer, Kerolos, Zhai, Qihui, Nassar, Aziza , Zhai, Qihui Jim, Nassar, Aziza

Case Reports in Pathology | February 20, 2017 | Volume: 2017 | Issue: No issue available | Pages: 1-6

10.1155/2017/7931975 Get It

We describe a primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumor of a 57-year-old Thai woman who presented in 2004 with a suspicious mass in the left hepatic lobe. She underwent left hepatectomy for the 10.5-cm mass, calledintermediate grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of unknown origin,likely metastatic. The tumor recurred in 2007, then calledrecurrent primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumor(PHNET), and the patient underwent liver transplant. Because of similarity between the neuroendocrine tumor and a thyroid tumor—specifically, follicular-like characteristics—immunohistochemical stains for thyroglobulin, TTF1, and calcitonin were performed. However, all were negative. All imaging studies revealed no evidence of a primary lesion other than the liver mass. In 2008, the patient’s liver transplant failed because of ischemic cholangiopathy, and she underwent a second liver transplant. Seven years later, in 2015, she presented with metastatic neuroendocrine tumor of intermediate grade to the lung, consistent with metastatic PHNET. She underwent left upper-lobe wedge resection to remove the tumor. The patient is alive with no evidence of disease at 13 years after initial diagnosis. This rare variant of PHNET had thyroid-like morphologic characteristics but there is no evidence of primary thyroid tumor or thyroid markers in the primary and recurrent hepatic tumors and lung metastasis.
American Thyroid Association Guidelines on the Management of Thyroid Nodules and Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Task Force Review and Recommendation on the Proposed Renaming of Encapsulated Follicular Variant Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Without Invasion to
Haugen, Bryan R. , Sawka, Anna M. , Alexander, Erik K. , Bible, Keith C. , Doherty, Gerard M. , Mandel, Susan J., Pacini, Furio , Schlumberger, Martin, Schuff, Kathryn G., Somerset, Hilary, Steward, David L. , Wartofsky, Leonard , Williams, Michelle D. , Caturegli, Patrizio , Morris, John C., Nassar, Aziza , Sherman, Steven I. , Sosa, Julie Ann

Thyroid | January 23, 2017 | Volume: 27 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 481-483

10.1089/thy.2016.0628 Get It

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology of metastatic renal cell carcinoma to the pancreas: A multi-center experience
Pannala, Rahul , Hallberg-Wallace, Karyn M., Smith, Amber , Zarka, Matthew A., Reynolds, Jordan , Zarka, Matthew, Chen, Longwen , Hallberg-Wallace, Karyn M., Nassar, Aziza , Zhang, Jun , Reynolds, Jordan P

CytoJournal | January 16, 2017 | Volume: 13 | Issue: No issue available | Pages: 24

10.4103/1742-6413.192191 Get It

Introduction: The increasing use of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) cytology to examine pancreatic neoplasms has led to an increase in the diagnosis of metastases to the pancreas. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common metastasis to the pancreas. Our study examines 33 cases of metastatic RCC to the pancreas sampled by EUS-FNA from four large tertiary care hospitals. Materials and Methods: We searched the cytopathology database for RCC metastatic to the pancreas diagnosed by EUS-FNA from January 2005 to January 2015. Patient age, history of RCC, nephrectomy history, follow-up postnephrectomy, radiological impression, and EUS-FNA cytologic diagnosis were reviewed. Results: Thirty-three patients were identified. The average age was 67.5 years (range, 49–84 years). Thirty-two patients had a previous documented history of RCC. One patient had the diagnosis of pancreatic metastasis at the same time of the kidney biopsy. Thirty-one patients had been treated with nephrectomy. Twenty-seven patients were being monitored annually by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Twenty-five patients had multiple masses by imaging, but 8 patients had a single mass in the pancreas at the time of EUS-FNA. EUS-FNA of 20 cases showed classic morphology of RCC. Thirteen cases had either “atypical” clinical-radiologic features or morphologic overlaps with primary pancreatic neoplasms or other neoplasms. Cell blocks were made on all 13 cases and immunochemical stains confirmed the diagnosis. Conclusions: EUS-FNA cytology is useful for the diagnosis of metastatic RCC to the pancreas. Cytomorphology can be aided with patient history, imaging analyses, cell blocks, and immunochemical stains.
Abstract LB-364: Natural history of age-related lobular involution and impact on breast cancer risk
Visscher, Daniel W., Frank, Ryan D. , Vachon, Celine M. , Denison, Lori A., Hartmann, Lynn C. , Frost, Marlene H., Radisky, Derek C. , Vierkant, Robert A. , Winham, Stacey J. , Stallings‐Mann, Melody , Hoskin, Tanya L. , Nassar, Aziza , Vachon, Celine M. , Degnim, Amy C.

Cancer Research | July 26, 2016 | Volume: 76 | Issue: 14_Supplement | Pages: LB-364-LB-364

10.1158/1538-7445.am2016-lb-364 Get It

Abstract Background: Age-related lobular involution (LI) is a physiological process in which the terminal duct lobular units of the breast regress as a woman ages. Analyses of breast biopsies from women with benign breast disease (BBD) have found that extent of LI is negatively associated with subsequent breast cancer development. Here we assess the natural course of LI within individual women, and the impact of progressive LI on breast cancer risk. Methods: The Mayo Clinic BBD cohort consists of 13,455 women with BBD from 1967-2001. The BBD cohort includes 1115 women who had multiple benign biopsies, 106 of whom had developed breast cancer. Within this multiple biopsy cohort, the progression of the LI process was examined by age at initial biopsy and time between biopsies. The relationship between LI progression and breast cancer risk was assessed using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and by Cox proportional hazards analysis. Results: Women who had multiple biopsies were younger age and had a slightly higher family history of breast cancer as compared with the overall BBD cohort. Extent of LI at subsequent biopsy was greater with increasing time between biopsies and for women age 55+ at initial biopsy. Among women with multiple biopsies, there was a significant association of higher breast cancer risk among those with involution stasis (lack of progression, HR 1.63) as compared with those with involution progression, p = 0.036. Conclusions: The multiple biopsy BBD cohort allows for a longitudinal study of the natural progression of LI. The majority of women in the multiple biopsy cohort showed progression of LI status between benign biopsies, and extent of progression was highest for women who were in the perimenopausal age range at initial biopsy. Progression of LI status between initial and subsequent biopsy was associated with decreased breast cancer risk. Citation Format: Derek Radisky, Daniel W. Visscher, Ryan Frank, Robert A. Vierkant, Stacey J. Winham, Melody L. Stallings-Mann, Tanya L. Hoskin, Aziza Nassar, Celine M. Vachon, Lori A. Denison, Lynn C. Hartmann, Marlene H. Frost, Amy C. Degnim. Natural history of age-related lobular involution and impact on breast cancer risk. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-364.