Association Between ERG/PTEN Genes and Pathologic Parameters of Prostate Cancer With an Emphasis on Gleason Score: A Literature Review

BACKGROUND/AIM

The purpose of this article was to review the association between the ETS-related gene (ERG) and the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) genes with pathologic parameters of prostate cancer, emphasizing on Gleason score.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a PubMed-based search of the literature emphasizing on articles that use pathological techniques, and especially on those that report the use immunohistochemical staining and FISH to investigate the association between ERG and PTEN mutations with the histopathologic parameters of prostate cancer.

RESULTS

ERG expression is frequently marked in patients with prostate cancer, usually due to the occurrence of the TMPRSS2:ERG gene fusion. Although some studies reported a potential link between the expression of ERG and Gleason score, there is no strong evidence supporting this finding. On the contrary, there is more solid evidence correlating loss of PTEN expression with worse prognosis and higher Gleason scores. Few studies correlate the over-expression of ERG gene with the loss of PTEN expression. Finally, PTEN and ERG have been studied as potential therapeutic targets, and several promising results have been reported.

CONCLUSION

Although, at some degree, ERG expression seems to be associated with the morphological features of prostate cancer, different studies reported controversial results. However, expression of PTEN is more clearly associated with the pathology and clinical course of the disease. More research is required to elucidate the role of these molecules in the molecular pathology of prostate cancer, as well as their potential use as therapeutic targets.

"Starting from the Image": A Tele-pathology Pre-graduate Course Aimed at Motivating Medical Students

In the tele-course entitled "Starting from the image", medical students are confronted with practical tasks in relevant professional contexts. Initially, a macroscopic or microscopic image of a patient case is presented to learners who then receive relevant information on the patient's history, clinical findings, and other laboratory tests. A pathologist actively discusses the pathological findings; then, a clinician explains their implications for the patient's individualized treatment and prognosis. In this way, pathology's interaction with other medical specialties is highlighted. Students declared that through these simulated professional practice experiences, they strengthened their decision-making skills. Educators should consider upgrading from information-based teaching to practice-focused instruction.

Evaluating e-Learning in the Pathology Course During the COVID-19 Pandemic

PURPOSE

Synchronous and asynchronous e-learning is a promising and effective educational method for the delivery of medical lessons. Due to the public health measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, our Pathology Department faced the challenge of a total online transition of the lessons. Therefore, the aim is to evaluate the aspects of the applied e-learning method they received.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

At the end of the semester when e-learning was applied, we designed a structured questionnaire consisting of 17 items via Google Forms, which took the students between 5 and 7 minutes to complete. Of the 257 students registered on the Pathology course in the fifth semester, 207 students (80.5%) returned completed valid questionnaires.

RESULTS

Fifteen of the seventeen components of the e-learning Pathology questionnaire were evaluated highly by the vast majority of the students. The two remaining items, the HIPON platform and the Microlabs e-lessons, were evaluated highly by almost half the students. Approximately 93% of medical students answered that e-learning could be integrated with real class lessons in the medical curriculum: 62.8% (N = 130) of students answered to a great extent, and 30.4% (N = 63) answered to a small extent. Statistically significant differences were found between the demographic characteristics of the participants (gender, permanent residence, working status) and their evaluation of the e-learning items.

CONCLUSION

E-learning was successfully implemented for the delivery of the pathology lessons and was widely accepted by the students, providing evidence for its future integration into the medical curriculum. Our findings illuminate various aspects of the students' experience with e-learning, and we strongly recommend that the students' evaluation and perspective be taken into consideration by the faculty in the development of policies for higher-quality medical education.

Participation and Interactivity in Synchronous E-Learning Pathology Course During the COVID-19 Pandemic

PURPOSE OF THE ARTICLE

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, educational institutions had to utilize online platform solutions to deliver their curriculum. We conducted this study to explore participation and interactivity in a synchronous e-learning non-mandatory participation course in pathology at a medical school in Greece. The knowledge acquired is expected to be instrumental in the development of educational practices.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The data for this study were gathered through the recorded video archives of the synchronous e-lessons. We observed online participation at seven time points during each of the assessed e-lessons. Moreover, we identified and categorized the professor's/students' interactivity patterns according to content.

RESULTS

The maximum number of students participating in the first e-lesson was N = 196. We recorded a reduction of N = 91 students, approximately 46%, in maximum student participants from the second observed e-lesson, and an additional decrease of N = 28 students, approximately 27%, from the third observation. Participation numbers continued to lessen. Even though there was a statistically significant difference in the mean percentage of students participating between the seven time points of each e-lesson, the difference in the mean percentage of students' online participation between the seven e-lessons assessed was not statistically significant. This indicates a consistent e-audience. Evidence of interactivity was summarized in a table, and each professor-students interaction was classified according to its content. We found that the professor posed questions to his students every 2-5 minutes during every synchronous e-lesson and e-tutorial observed, and students wrote 3-6 answers in chat in response to each question. Students asked more questions as more synchronous e-learning classes took place, with limited exceptions.

CONCLUSION

From our perspective, our observations set the basis for further research to enhance our understanding of the aspects of the e-learning environment towards the formulation of policies for higher-quality education.

PLAIN TEXT

Our pathology department places high value on the quality of education that the medical students receive. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our department had to deploy e-learning modalities for curriculum delivery. Thus, we conducted this research to evaluate a pathology e-learning class in terms of students' participation and the interactivity dynamics between them and the professor. We used statistics to measure participation during each e-lesson and identified recurring patterns of interactivity. We avoided imposing our predetermined interpretations of the data in this study so as to present an accurate depiction of the aspects of the e-learning environment. We were very pleased to identify a steady e-audience despite the drop-out rate from one e-lesson to the next, as well as strong, increasing interactivity patterns between the students and the professor, as students posed more and more questions from one e-lesson to the next. We are looking forward to future studies that address the e-learning procedure's challenges and provide evidence of its effectiveness and quality.