Issues

Wright–Giemsa-stained cytospin of early passages of TLBR-2 cells in culture. This cell line derived from an aggressive breast implant–associated T-cell CD30⁺ALK⁻ anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) shows typical morphologic features, including enlarged nuclei with frequent mitotic figures, multiple prominent nucleoli, pale cytoplasm with vesiculation, and occasional multinucleated giant cells (original magnification, ×400). Along with TLBR-1 and -3, it represents a new model for breast implant–associated ALCL and is characterized by a near triploid karyotype, specific chemotherapy drug sensitivities, and high expression of several pathway signals including Notch1, survivin, antiapoptotic genes, IL-6 and IL-2 autocrine cytokines, and STAT3, which seem to be associated with the oncogenesis and growth for these unique cancers. For details, see the article by Lechner and colleagues on page 4549 of this issue.