Extraprostatic extension (EPE) of prostate cancer is usually reported as either focal (F-EPE) or established (E-EPE), but data on the implication for outcomes of this subdivision are conflicting and no systematic review (SR) evaluating this exists. This SR aims to address this gap in the literature, focusing on the impact of F-EPE and E-EPE on outcome in radical prostatectomy (RP) patients. Searches on Embase, Medline(R), and Pubmed databases were conducted.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDigital pathology continues to gain momentum, with the promise of artificial intelligence to aid diagnosis and for assessment of features which may impact prognosis and clinical management. Successful adoption of these technologies depends upon the quality of digitised whole-slide images (WSI); however, current quality control largely depends upon manual assessment, which is inefficient and subjective. We previously developed PathProfiler, an automated image quality assessment tool, and in this feasibility study we investigate its potential for incorporation into a diagnostic clinical pathology setting in real-time.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvidence-based medicine (EBM) can be an unfamiliar territory for those working in tumor pathology research, and there is a great deal of uncertainty about how to undertake an EBM approach to planning and reporting histopathology-based studies. In this article, reviewed and endorsed by the Word Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer's International Collaboration for Cancer Classification and Research, we aim to help pathologists and researchers understand the basics of planning an evidence-based tumor pathology research study, as well as our recommendations on how to report the findings from these. We introduce some basic EBM concepts, a framework for research questions, and thoughts on study design and emphasize the concept of reporting standards.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuman tissue, which is inherently three-dimensional (3D), is traditionally examined through standard-of-care histopathology as limited two-dimensional (2D) cross-sections that can insufficiently represent the tissue due to sampling bias. To holistically characterize histomorphology, 3D imaging modalities have been developed, but clinical translation is hampered by complex manual evaluation and lack of computational platforms to distill clinical insights from large, high-resolution datasets. We present TriPath, a deep-learning platform for processing tissue volumes and efficiently predicting clinical outcomes based on 3D morphological features.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn recent years, technological advances in tissue preparation, high-throughput volumetric microscopy, and computational infrastructure have enabled rapid developments in nondestructive 3D pathology, in which high-resolution histologic datasets are obtained from thick tissue specimens, such as whole biopsies, without the need for physical sectioning onto glass slides. While 3D pathology generates massive datasets that are attractive for automated computational analysis, there is also a desire to use 3D pathology to improve the visual assessment of tissue histology. In this perspective, we discuss and provide examples of potential advantages of 3D pathology for the visual assessment of clinical specimens and the challenges of dealing with large 3D datasets (of individual or multiple specimens) that pathologists have not been trained to interpret.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe hierarchy of evidence is a fundamental concept in evidence-based medicine, but existing models can be challenging to apply in laboratory-based health care disciplines, such as pathology, where the types of evidence and contexts are significantly different from interventional medicine. This project aimed to define a comprehensive and complementary framework of new levels of evidence for evaluating research in tumor pathology-introducing a novel Hierarchy of Research Evidence for Tumor Pathology collaboratively designed by pathologists with help from epidemiologists, public health professionals, oncologists, and scientists, specifically tailored for use by pathologists-and to aid in the production of the World Health Organization Classification of Tumors (WCT) evidence gap maps. To achieve this, we adopted a modified Delphi approach, encompassing iterative online surveys, expert oversight, and external peer review, to establish the criteria for evidence in tumor pathology, determine the optimal structure for the new hierarchy, and ascertain the levels of confidence for each type of evidence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenetic signatures have added a molecular dimension to prognostics and therapeutic decision-making. However, tumour heterogeneity in prostate cancer and current sampling methods could confound accurate assessment. Based on previously published spatial transcriptomic data from multifocal prostate cancer, we created virtual biopsy models that mimic conventional biopsy placement and core size.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: we describe our experience of validating departmental pathologists for digital pathology reporting, based on the UK Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) "Best Practice Recommendations for Implementing Digital Pathology (DP)," at a large academic teaching hospital that scans 100% of its surgical workload. We focus on Stage 2 of validation (prospective experience) prior to full validation sign-off.
Methods And Results: twenty histopathologists completed Stage 1 of the validation process and subsequently completed Stage 2 validation, prospectively reporting a total of 3777 cases covering eight specialities.
Purpose: Despite recent advances, approximately 50% of patient with metastatic melanoma eventually succumb to the disease. Patients with melanomas harboring a BRAF mutation (BRAF) have a worse prognosis than those with wildtype (BRAF) tumors. Unexpectedly, interim AVAST-M Phase III trial data reported benefit from adjuvant anti-VEGF bevacizumab only in the BRAF group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: There are gaps in the evidence base of tumour classification despite being essential for cancer diagnosis, treatment and patient care. The WHO in charge of the production of an updated international classification, the WHO Classification of Tumours (WCT), aims to adapt evidence gap map (EGM) methodology to inform future editions of the WCT, by providing a visual summary of the existing evidence.
Methods And Analysis: Bibliographical references used in the WCT fifth edition of Tumours of the Lung (Thoracic Tumours volume) will be used as search results of a literature search.
Digital pathology (DP) offers potential for time efficiency gains over an analog workflow however, to date, evidence supporting this claim is relatively lacking. Studies available concentrate on specific workflow points such as diagnostic reporting time, rather than overall efficiencies in slide logistics that might be expected. This is in part a result of the complexity and variation in analog working, and the challenge therefore in capturing this.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDefining the transition from benign to malignant tissue is fundamental to improving early diagnosis of cancer. Here we use a systematic approach to study spatial genome integrity in situ and describe previously unidentified clonal relationships. We used spatially resolved transcriptomics to infer spatial copy number variations in >120,000 regions across multiple organs, in benign and malignant tissues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: With increasing utility of digital pathology (DP), it is important to consider the experiences of histopathologists in training, particularly in view of the varied access to DP across a training region and the consequent need to remain competent in reporting on glass slides (GS), which is also relevant for the Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists part 2 examination. Understanding the impact of DP on training is limited but could aid development of guidance to support the transition. We sought to investigate the perceptions of histopathologists in training around the introduction of DP for clinical diagnosis within a training region, and the potential training benefits and challenges.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere has been particular interest in the deployment of digital pathology (DP) and artificial intelligence (AI) in the diagnosis of prostate cancer, but little is known about the views of the public on their use. Prostate Cancer UK supporters were invited to an online survey which included quantitative and qualitative questions exploring views on the use of DP and AI in histopathological assessment. A total of 1276 responses to the survey were analysed (response rate 12.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFResearch using whole slide images (WSIs) of histopathology slides has increased exponentially over recent years. Glass slides from retrospective cohorts, some with patient follow-up data are digitised for the development and validation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Such resources, therefore, become very important, with the need to ensure that their quality is of the standard necessary for downstream AI development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiagnostics (Basel)
November 2021
Background: In this article we share our experience of creating a digital pathology (DP) supraregional germ cell tumour service, including full digitisation of the central laboratory.
Methods: DP infrastructure (Philips) was deployed across our hospital network to allow full central digitisation with partial digitisation of two peripheral sites in the supraregional testis germ cell tumour network. We used a survey-based approach to capture the quantitative and qualitative experiences of the multidisciplinary teams involved.
Digital Pathology (DP) is a platform which has the potential to develop a truly integrated and global pathology community. The generation of DP data at scale creates novel challenges for the histopathology community in managing, processing, and governing the use of these data. The current understanding of, and confidence in, the legal and ethical aspects of DP by pathologists is unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProstate cancer is a common cancer type in men, yet some of its traits are still under-explored. One reason for this is high molecular and morphological heterogeneity. The purpose of this study was to develop a method to gain new insights into the connection between morphological changes and underlying molecular patterns.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Pathological grading of non-invasive urothelial carcinoma has a direct impact upon management. This study evaluates the reproducibility of grading these tumours on glass slides and digital pathology.
Methods: Forty eight non-invasive urothelial bladder carcinomas were graded by three uropathologists on glass and on a digital platform using the 1973 WHO and 2004 ISUP/WHO systems.
Background: There are recognised potential pitfalls in digital diagnosis in urological pathology, including the grading of dysplasia. The World Health Organisation/International Society of Urological Pathology (WHO/ISUP) grading system for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is prognostically important in clear cell RCC (CCRCC) and papillary RCC (PRCC), and is included in risk stratification scores for CCRCC, thus impacting on patient management. To date there are no systematic studies examining the concordance of WHO/ISUP grading between digital pathology (DP) and glass slide (GS) images.
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