Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is increasingly used in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most frequent primary liver tumor. Atypical ductular reactions challenge the histological diagnosis in specimens of patients after embolization treatment, mimicking intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) or combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma (HCC-CCA). We characterized atypical ductular reactions in HCC patients after embolization treatment in association with therapy mode, response and survival using histomorphology and spatial microdissection. This retrospective, single-center, longitudinal cohort study included 188 HCC patients. We compared a study group (n=105 patients with total 206 tumor nodules) vs. a treatment-naïve control group (n=83/112 nodules). Presence of embolization compounds, type of embolization treatment, tumor necrosis, morphology and the expression of biliary markers (CK7/19, SOX9) were assessed on whole slides and a tissue microarray (TMA) using machine learning assisted marker profiling. Spatial microdissection and sequencing with the Oncomine Comprehensive Assay (OCAv3) tested genetic landscapes. The relative risk for atypical ductular reactions was increased in HCC patients following embolization therapy compared to the control group (RR 3.6; p<0.05). Morphology appears as ribbon-like with atypical, confluent ducts usually found on the interface of necrosis and vital tumor nodules. Strong intensity of CK7/19 and SOX9 was observed throughout, compared to a heterogenous expression pattern in combined HCC-CCA. Spatial microdissection of atypical ductular reactions showed variants of unknown significance in 1/13 cases (NTRK3), but no CCA-typical mutations. In contrast, combined HCC-CCA (n=4) displayed oncogene alterations in known targets (TP53, BAP1 and TERT). Increased atypical ductular reactions in specimens of HCC-patients after transarterial embolization treatment can be identified as regenerative phenomenon with distinct morphology and immunophenotype.
Purpose: This nationwide study aimed to evaluate Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) test characteristics and test results during the first two years after the introduction of PD-L1 testing in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and to analyze interlaboratory variation in PD-L1 positivity rates, assessed by a combined positive score (CPS), using nationwide real-world data from the Netherlands.
Materials and methods: Pathology reports of TNBC patients mentioning PD-L1 were retrieved from the Dutch nationwide pathology database (Palga). PD-L1 test characteristics and results were evaluated per year between August 2022 and August 2024. To assess consistency between laboratories, interlaboratory variation in PD-L1 positivity rates (CPS≥10) was analyzed using funnel plots with 95% confidence intervals around the national mean. Laboratory specific PD-L1 positivity rates were case-mix adjusted, using multivariate logistic regression.
Results: During the study period, 926 PD-L1 tests were performed (423 in year 1 and 503 in year 2). CPS was applied in 94.5% of cases. The national mean PD-L1 positivity rate was 46.7%. After adjustment for case-mix variables, laboratory-specific positivity rates ranged from 21.3% to 70.7%, with three of the 19 laboratories showing significant deviations from the national mean.
Conclusions: PD-L1 testing for TNBC is generally well conducted according to the national guidelines in the Netherlands, with consistent use of CPS. However, the observed interlaboratory variation in positivity rates highlights the need for further standardization of testing methods to ensure accuracy of patient selection for immunotherapy.

