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Webinars and Sponsored Roundtables — Register Now

Thursday, August 20, 2026. 12 PM-1:30 PM ET
Hear from an expert in HER2 IHC whose work has contributed to current scoring guidelines.

Webinar presenter Josef Ruschoff, MD, PhD, Former Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder of Targos, Senior Consultant of Discovery Life Sciences, Kassel, Germany.

Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY

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To be rescheduled to a future date
Learn about digital pathology technology that is future-ready, yet practical for today’s
laboratory needs.

Webinar presenters Scott Hammond, Senior Systems Consultant, Digital Pathology Division, Wexner Medical Center, Department of Pathology, and Ursula Hofer, Imaging Technologist, Pathology Digital Imaging Lab, Wexner Medical Center, Department of Pathology, and Sandra Banky, PA(ASCP), Director of Operations, Wexner Medical Center, Department of Pathology.

Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY

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Subspecialties

Interactive Product Guides

Abstracts

Clinical pathology selected abstracts

December 2024—Excitement over the impact of artificial intelligence-based tools in different areas of health care has prompted position papers and research on the application of these new devices. One such tool is ChatGPT, which is publicly available and has demonstrated domain-specific knowledge in numerous areas, including medicine. The vast amount of data generated with current technologies, including digital pathology applications, and in subspecialty areas of pathology may lend itself to interpretation with artificial intelligence-based algorithms. But while AI-based applications can automate routine tasks and enhance diagnostic accuracy, their widespread use has been limited. Further AI research and validation of AI-based applications will increase adoption of such technology and, thereby, the overall efficiency and accuracy of the diagnostic process in pathology.

Anatomic pathology selected abstracts

December 2024—Recurrence of Crohn’s disease within one or two years of resection is common. The authors conducted a study in which they sought to identify histologic features in Crohn’s disease resections that may predict earlier recurrence (18 months or less) to potentially guide postoperative management. They performed a single-institution, retrospective database review of 41 patients who had first-time Crohn’s disease bowel resection specimens collected between October 2002 and December 2007. Patient demographics and Crohn’s disease course were documented. Slides were reviewed for the distribution and composition of inflammation, small bowel pyloric metaplasia, and the presence and characteristics of submucosal fibrosis and granulomas.

Molecular pathology selected abstracts

December 2024—Acute promyelocytic leukemia is generally characterized by presence of the PML::RARA fusion. However, a subset of cases with morphological, cytochemical, and immunophenotypic features of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) lack this canonical fusion gene and instead present with alternate fusions. These include RARA fusions with partners other than PML and fusions involving other retinoic acid receptor (RAR) genes, such as RARG. Leukemias with these variant fusions often resist all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) therapy. Specifically, the ATRA sensitivity of RARA fusion genes varies based on its 5′ fusion partner. Interestingly, in some studies, the artificially induced variant RAR bipartite fusion genes responded well to ATRA.

Clinical pathology selected abstracts

November 2024—Pathology training programs are meant to prepare trainees for the workforce by imparting medical knowledge and developing skills in diagnostic interpretation in anatomic pathology. Yet transitioning to the workforce can be challenging for some new graduates. To address this, many training programs have begun teaching management and leadership skills that are required on the job. In addition, the College of American Pathologists New in Practice Committee developed online educational material to provide practical advice for those starting their pathology careers.

Anatomic pathology selected abstracts

November 2024—Inactivating alterations in switch/sucrose nonfermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complex subunits have been described in multiple tumor types. Recent studies focused on SMARC subunits of this complex to explain their relationship with tumor characteristics and therapeutic opportunities. Pancreatic cancer with these alterations has not been well studied, although isolated cases of undifferentiated carcinomas have been reported.

Molecular pathology selected abstracts

November 2024—Many people with an intellectual disability do not receive a molecular diagnosis following genetic testing. While 1,427 genes have been confidently identified as etiological for an intellectual disability (ID), all but nine of them are protein coding. To identify noncoding etiologies of ID, the authors conducted a genetic association analysis using whole genome sequencing data on 77,539 participants in the 100,000 Genomes Project. The study included 29,741 probands and 4,782 affected relatives assigned by expert clinicians to one or more of 220 specific disease classes encompassing a wide range of pathologies.

Clinical pathology selected abstracts

October 2024—Exposure to lead is associated with irreversible adverse effects on fetal and neonatal development. Because no reliable threshold exists for determining the impact of lead exposure on children, the CDC began using the term blood lead reference values to identify children with higher blood lead levels (BLLs). Limiting exposure to lead is critical to ensuring that vulnerable populations, such as fetuses, neonates, and children, are not at risk for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Lead and inorganic lead compounds are classified as carcinogens, while such metals as mercury and cadmium are considered neurotoxicants. Studies have shown a significant correlation between post-transfusion BLLs in infants and lead levels in RBC units.

Anatomic pathology selected abstracts

October 2024—Screening for colorectal cancers can involve assessing mismatch repair deficiency or microsatellite instability to identify people with Lynch syndrome, the most common hereditary syndrome causing colorectal cancer. Advanced adenomas are considered immediate precursor lesions of colorectal cancer. The authors conducted a study in which they investigated the relevance of microsatellite instability screening of advanced adenomas for Lynch syndrome in population screening. They selected advanced adenomas (n=1,572) from the Dutch colorectal cancer population screening program. All were reviewed and met one or more of the following criteria: tubulovillous (n=848, 54 percent) or villous (n=118, 7.5 percent) adenoma, diameter of 1 cm or more (n=1,286, 82 percent), or high-grade dysplasia (n=176, 11 percent).

Molecular pathology selected abstracts

October 2024—Huntington disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by abnormal CAG trinucleotide repeats in exon one of the HTT gene, in which the number of CAG repeats affects disease presentation. Alleles with 40 or more CAG (cytosine, adenine, guanine) repeats are fully penetrant and age at disease onset is inversely correlated with number of repeats, while 36 to 39 CAG repeats are associated with reduced penetrance and fewer than 36 are not considered to cause Huntington disease. It is thought that inherited CAG repeats may undergo somatic expansion until a harmful threshold is reached before the degenerative process begins.

Pathology informatics selected abstracts

October 2024—The authors conducted a study to evaluate the Genius digital diagnostic system compared with manual light microscopy diagnosis using ThinPrep Pap test slides. Six cytologists and three cytopathologists participated in the study. They received 1.5 days of training on the Genius digital system from the manufacturer (Hologic, Marlborough, Mass.). They then analyzed 319 ThinPrep Pap test cases in the authors’ institutional cytology archive that represented a range of Bethesda System categories typically encountered in routine practice. The study participants assessed diagnostic accuracy by comparing digital and manual results to the original Pap test diagnosis, which was considered the reference diagnosis, or ground truth.

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