Wednesday, September 23, 2026. 12 PM-1 PM ET
Roundtable presenters Dr. David Sacks MB, ChB, FRCPath, Chairman, Steering Committee National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program (NGSP), and Priya Sivaraman, PhD, Senior Technical Product Manager, Tosoh Bioscience.
Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY
Thursday, September 24, 2026 11 AM-12 PM CT
This session explores the evolving role of RAS in precision oncology, from the biology of RAS mutations to the expanding landscape of targeted therapies. Through expert presentations, real-world case discussions, and interactive audience polling, participants will examine best practices for RAS biomarker testing across solid tumors, including lung, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers. The session will highlight practical considerations for tissue and liquid biopsy, strategies to address testing gaps, and the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration to ensure timely identification of patients who may benefit from RAS-targeted therapies.
Webinar presenters David Braxton, MD, Chief of Molecular Pathology Services, Hoag Family Cancer Institute & Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, and Carlos Becerra, MD, Research Director for Medical Oncology, Margaret Given Larkin Endowed Chair for Developmental Cancer Therapeutics, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian.
Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY
Wednesday, September 30, 2026. 1 PM-1:30 PM ET
Roundtable presenters John Longshore, PhD, Head of Scientific Affairs, Global Oncology Diagnostics, AstraZeneca, and Flora Berisha, MS, Executive Director, Global Head of Diagnostic Partnering and Development, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, and Mark D. Ewalt, MD, Associate Medical Director for Laboratory Operations, Diagnostic Molecular Pathology, Molecular Diagnostics Service, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Isabel Preeshagul, DO, MBS, Thoracic Medical Oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY
Tuesday, October 20, 2026 11 AM-12 PM ET
Hear experts review the biological and clinical significance of the HER2 expression continuum in breast tissue, providing a clearer understanding of how these variations might impact diagnosis, and discuss the emerging importance of documenting HER2-low and HER2-ultralow categories using a validated IHC assay.
Webinar presenters Keith Wharton, MD, PhD, Global Medical Affairs Leader–Pathology,
Roche Diagnostics Solutions, and Hannah Y. Wen, MD, PhD, Director, Breast Pathology Fellowship, Associate Team Leader, Breast Pathology Team, Attending Pathologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY
August 2020—In the past six months, many of us have developed video conferencing skills to an extent we never imagined we would need. Until the COVID-19 pandemic led to lockdowns in several states, a great deal of expertise in Zoom and other similar platforms was not a high priority among many pathologists. I am proud that our community adapted quickly and skillfully to continue providing the best care possible to our patients.
August 2020—Bacterial contamination of platelets continues to be an important cause of transfusion-associated morbidity and mortality. From 2001 to 2016, there were 51 deaths reported to the FDA due to transfusion of apheresis products contaminated with bacteria, including 30 deaths since testing for bacterial contamination was mandated in 2004. This mandate was implemented through primary culture of single-donor apheresis platelets in 2004 and then prestorage pooled platelets (PSPPs) in 2007. The authors conducted a study to compare the platelet bacterial contamination and septic transfusion rates before and after introducing testing of pooled and apheresis platelets by primary culture over an extended time period. They cultured platelet aliquots at issue and evaluated transfusion reactions.
August 2020—The authors conducted a study in which they reviewed 354 cases of malignant diffuse mesothelioma in women from a database of 2,858 histologically confirmed cases. Pleural predominance was noted with 78 percent of pleural malignant mesotheliomas (MM) and 22 percent of peritoneal MM. The pleural tumors consisted of 72 percent epithelioid, 19 percent biphasic, and nine percent sarcomatoid variant. The peritoneal tumors consisted of 82 percent epithelioid, 13 percent biphasic, and five percent sarcomatoid. The immunohistochemical profile was typical of what is well accepted and previously described for MM.
August 2020—Patients and families suspected of having Mendelian diseases, syndromes thought to be caused by a single mutated gene, often undergo comprehensive next-generation sequencing to determine the underlying pathogenic variant. Whole exome sequencing, in which the coding regions of all genes are analyzed, is usually the preferred testing method. However, this identifies the diagnostic pathogenic variant in only 25 to 52 percent of cases. Whole genome sequencing appears to confer only marginal benefit over whole exome sequencing, presumably because the pathogenic variants likely are not missed by whole exome sequencing but may be misinterpreted as nondiagnostic. Among the variants that are difficult to interpret are those that affect RNA by directly influencing transcription, or altering normal splicing, or by mediating their effects through chromatin.
Q. If a person died from an overdose, would the toxicology screen always show which drugs were in their system? Read answer.
Q. We are looking into using a scale to measure 24-hour urine samples, but we can’t find much literature about it. Is the variation between the measurement from a scale and actual volume clinically significant? What kind of validation is recommended? Read answer.
August 2020—At Sonora Quest Laboratories, working backward has been a key strategy for leaping forward. Little by little, the Arizona-based integrated laboratory system has been retracing paper trails and assessing established processes as part of an ambitious plan to eliminate paper use across its seven commercial laboratories, 28 hospital labs, and more than 75 patient service centers.
August 2020—SpIntellx and CellNetix Pathology & Laboratories will collaborate to validate the SpIntellx HistoMapr-Breast Platform. The platform is the first in the companies’ larger efforts to use explainable artificial intelligence-assisted lab processes in the development of diagnostics, prognostics, therapeutic strategies, and drug development for tumor and non-tumor diseases.
Published in June:
At the pandemic’s serologic frontier
The arrival of a pandemic has shown—among many, many other things—that anyone who talks about it typically starts by saying, “This is a pandemic.” The next sentence tends to be, “It’s a completely different situation,” whether the focus is grocery shopping, exercising (or not), voting, or practicing medicine. Pointing to the pandemic is a polite way of saying, “All bets are off.” For many, it’s been a springboard to innovation and breakthroughs, even in the midst of considerable anguish. For clinical laboratories, however, much has felt unsettling, especially when the conversation turns to serology testing for SARS-CoV-2. It’s a topic stuffed to overflowing with interest, enthusiasm—and, early on, antibody tests themselves. That also meant months, possibly stretching into summer, in which laboratories faced more questions than answers, at a time when the demand for serology tests seems insatiable (and somewhat perplexing).
