View article

Background and aims: Mutations in BRAF have been linked with colorectal cancers (CRC) showing high level microsatellite instability (MSI-H). However, the distribution of BRAF mutations in MSI-H cancers remains to be clarified with respect to precursor lesions and the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP).

Methods: Forty three hyperplastic polyps (HP), nine mixed polyps (MP), five serrated adenomas (SA), 28 conventional adenomas (AD), 18 hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancers (HNPCC), and 127 sporadic CRC (46 MSI-H and 81 non-MSI-H) were collected from patients undergoing colectomy for either CRC or hyperplastic polyposis. Twenty five of 57 serrated lesions were derived from four patients with hyperplastic polyposis. HP were further subdivided according to recently documented morphological criteria into 27 classical HP and 16 variant lesions described as “sessile serrated adenoma …