Objective: Assessment of HER2 status in breast cancer is important in the clinical management of patients and can be identified by a number of methods. In this study we present the results of the SISH technique used in our laboratory in the last 4 years. Method: We analyzed 398 cases of invasive breast carcinoma, including 41 core biopsies, which were previously characterized immunohistochemically (CB11) as equivocal on a protein level (HER2 2+). All cases were evaluated by bright-field SISH using the automated Ventana Benchmark XT machine. Evaluation was independently performed by two pathologists (FP, GB) based upon the algorithms of the manufacturers and ASCO/CAP guidelines. Results: Out of 398 cases the HER2 gene was amplified in 82 cases (20.6 %), while in 302 cases (75.9 %) there was no gene amplification. Fourteen of the cases (3.5 %) were characterized as equivocal. The concordance between the two pathologists was high (97.6 %). Conclusion: The SISH method is new, fully automated and very rapid. Furthermore the bright-field SISH signal does not decay and can be visualized by any standard bright-field microscope even after long periods of time, making it particularly suitable for routine application in surgical pathology. Objective: Breast fibromatosis (BF) represents 0.2 % of breast tumours that simulate carcinoma. The aim of this study is to characterize the cases of BF diagnosed in our institution. Method: BF cases diagnosed from 1999 to 2009 were evaluated with clinicopathological and immunohistochemical parameters. We also studied mutations in exon 3 of the gene for β-catenin in 4 cases. Ultrastructural study (US) was performed in 1 case. Results: There were 5 women between 33 and 69 years old. Radiologically they showed deeply located hypoechoic irregular lesions. Size ranged between 1 and 23 cm. Histologically they were characterized by an ill-defined spindle cell proliferation without epithelial elements or atypia. Immunohistochemical study was negative for AE1/AE3, CK5/ 6, P63, CD34 and BCL2. Actin was diffusely positive in 4/ 5, and S100 and Desmin focally positive in 4/5. β-catenin showed cytoplasmic(5/5) and nuclear(1/5) expression. The US showed double smooth muscle and myofibroblastic differentiation. Three patients showed mutations in exon 3 of the β-catenin gene (2 with substitution at codon 41 (T41A) and 1 deletion of 33 base pairs (A43_E65del)). Conclusion: Focal desmin expression and US suggest smooth muscle differentiation in some BF. All cases showed cytoplasmatic positivity for β-catenin but nuclear expression was seen in only 20 % of cases. 75 % of the valuable cases showed genetic alterations of β-catenin. Objective: Breast cancer is a heterogenous disease consisting of distinct entities characterized by different gene expression patterns. Gene expression profiling of breast cancer revealed 4 major subtypes, including hormone receptor (HR) positive luminal A and B, HER-2 positive and basallike breast cancer. Most of the basal-like carcinomas are triple negative (HR and HER-2 negative). As most triple negative breast cancers express EGFR, mutations in the signal transducing cascade of RAS/RAF/MAP kinase might play a role in tumor progression. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of KRAS and BRAF V600 mutations in triple negative breast carcinomas. Method: Total genomic DNA was obtained from 37 formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded, triple negative breast tumors. KRAS was analyzed by pyrosequencing of codon 12, 13, 61. BRAF (exon 15, V600) mutations were analyzed with AutoGenomics INFINITI BRAF assay on the Autogenomics INFINITI analyzer.