Communicating imperative diagnoses effectively can often be a daunting challenge. It’s a crucial and delicate step that takes practice and know-how to do well and can be one of the most important actions taken with patients. That’s why a panel of experts have gotten together to discuss the current practices, gaps, and best practices for communication of urgent and significant/unexpected diagnoses in anatomic pathology.

The Promoting Diagnostic Excellence by Improving the Communication of Urgent and Unexpected Diagnoses in Anatomic Pathology podcast is designed to support the collaboration with clinical partners as well as to notice actionable opportunities where the communication of urgent and significant/unexpected diagnoses in anatomic pathology may be improved.

You will learn to:

• Understand current guidelines and practices for communication of urgent and unexpected diagnosis in anatomic pathology.
• Discuss high-priority communication barriers.
• Discuss best practices and recommendations for effective and timely communication of urgent and significant/unexpected diagnoses.

Women make up a majority of the workforce in pathology yet lag behind men in leadership roles. What are the consequences of this for women working in pathology today, and what can be done?

In this episode of Inside the Lab, Drs. Melissa Upton and Kimberly Sanford share a warm conversation in which they reflect on their long and varied careers, describe the unique challenges they faced over their careers, and discuss their accomplishments as trailblazers themselves. Our guests describe the value of finding mentors, They also describe the opportunities for the future of pathology, particularly in the context of working in a multigenerational workforce with evolving expectations of workplace culture.

Although molecular testing offers promising opportunities for diagnosis and targeted treatment of cancers, prostate cancer has lagged behind other types of cancer. Recently, homologous recombination repair testing in prostate cancer has provided a means to achieving targeted treatments for patients as well as opening new avenues of collaboration between pathologists and oncologists.

On this episode of Inside the Lab, hosts Ms. Kelly Swails, MLS(ASCP), and Dr. Ali Brown, MD, FASCP are joined by Heather Cheng, a medical oncologist and associate professor of hematology and oncology at the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, and Colin Pritchard, molecular pathologist and professor of laboratory science and director of the Genetics and Solid Tumors Laboratory at the University of Washington Medical Center.

Our panelists discuss the current treatment landscape for prostate cancer and how HRR testing can improve patient outcomes in this context.

Topics Covered

• An introduction to metastatic prostate cancer testing, and what types of tests are standard of care, and the rationale for targeting prostate cancer using PARP
• Key findings from recent phase III randomized clinical trials
• Standards for optimal testing in prostate cancer, particularly concerning sample sources and the choice between next-generation sequencing (NGS) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods
• common pitfalls or challenges in the arena of accurately reporting and interpreting findings from HRR tests
• Practical tips for optimal coordination among a multidisciplinary, cross-departmental team of healthcare providers and laboratory professionals when utilizing HRR testing in prostate cancer management.

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Resources
ASCP Membership 2024
Proposed FDA Regulation of Laboratory Developed Tests
Public Comment on the FDA’s Proposed Rule
Inside the Lab in the ASCP Store