Most thyroid fine-needle aspirates fit neatly into one of the 6 categories of the Bethesda classification. But sometimes, cases are not so easy and it is worth thinking outside the boxes! This case was one of the latter. Although the targeted nodule was located in the thyroid gland in a patient with a history of… Continue reading A rare “thyroid” nodule
SMARCA4-deficiency: a continuum
Although Thoracic SMARCA4-deficient undifferentiated tumour (SD-UT) is a recognized entity in the 5th edition of the WHO classification of thoracic tumors, this alteration occurs in garden-variety lung cancer as well (and in many other tumors too!) In fact, it is likely SD-UT exists on a continuum with SMARCA4-deficient lung cancer. I recently came across an… Continue reading SMARCA4-deficiency: a continuum
BCG and SARS-CoV2 vaccination in mice
I collaborated on this study by Dilhan Perera and colleagues, under the direction of Momar Ndao. The article, published in iScience, explores the effects of prior BCG exposure on the effectiveness in mice of an intranasal adenovirus-based vaccine against SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. I was involved in the scoring of lung damage seen… Continue reading BCG and SARS-CoV2 vaccination in mice
FET::CREB fusion in a lung nodule
The list of tumours with fusions involving the FET (EWSR1, FUS) and CREB (CREB1, ATF1, or CREM) families of genes is ever-expanding. These are promiscuous genes that drive neoplasia in a wide variety of anatomical sites, often without being recognized as such – but that doesn’t mean tumours with these molecular lesions are always primary… Continue reading FET::CREB fusion in a lung nodule
NGS in a Québec NSCLC cohort
I collaborated on this study that Mark Sorin and colleagues published in Cancer Treatment and Research Communications, detailing the molecular profile of a large (n=997) cohort of patients at the McGill University Health Centre, the institution where I am undergoing residency training. Québec is a province with unique outcomes and environmental exposures related to lung… Continue reading NGS in a Québec NSCLC cohort