For heart failure markers, what looks hopeful?
November 2015—Cardiologist James Januzzi Jr., MD, sounds like he could be running for political office. Are you going to settle for something different? Or is it time to demand something better?
Webinars and Sponsored Roundtables — Register Now
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
Thursday, October 1, 2026 1 PM-2 PM ET
This presentation will explore the value of in-house CGP, offer insights into the benefits and drawbacks of incorporation, and provide information about important practical factors when considering in-house implementation of CGP.
Webinar presenter Allison M. Cushman-Vokoun, MD, PhD, FCAP, Medical Director, Molecular Diagnostics and Personalized Medicine Laboratory, Director, Division of Diagnostic Molecular Pathology and Human Genetics, Henry F. Krous Professor of Pathology, University of Nebraska Medical 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
Subspecialties
Interactive Product Guides
ARTICLES
Analyze this: data shines within and without
November 2015—At PAML patient service centers, patients fresh from a blood draw may spot a kiosk that asks, “How was your experience today?” Responding is as easy as pushing one of four buttons with facial expressions that range from a broad smile to a major frown. The kiosk’s manufacturer, HappyOrNot, says about 20 percent of customers across a spectrum of industries will stop to register their level of satisfaction.
NY cuts labs loose from requirement to use state’s PT
October 2015—With the New Year approaching, many laboratories that test New York state specimens can look forward to breathing a sigh of relief. Regulatory relief, that is. Thanks to a policy change by the state’s Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program (CLEP), beginning Jan. 1, 2016, laboratories will still have to be inspected by the state, but can fill New York’s proficiency requirement with the proficiency tests of any organization to which the CMS has granted deemed status under CLIA.
Automated molecular platforms — the latest on two dozen
October 2015—CAP TODAY’s automated molecular platforms product guide begins on page 31 and features 26 platforms from 18 companies. Faster turnaround times and higher throughput are among the capabilities that manufacturers are touting. New to the market is BioMérieux’s EasyStream, which was first installed in Europe in 2014 and sold in the U.S. this year. EliTech Group, new to the product guide, introduced its Elite InGenius this year.
Next step in blood use program: end-of-life transfusion
October 2015—To improve blood usage in 2011, Advocate Health Care in Illinois launched a systemwide blood management program, “7 is the new 10.” Within two years of its implementation, there was a notable decrease in annual red cell usage from 64,178 to 41,000 red cell units, with overall savings of $10 million.
Flexible ordering may unravel pay snags for respiratory panels
October 2015—The advantages of molecular respiratory viral panelsare accompanied by a challenge for laboratories that find it difficult to secure payment for testing that can cost hundreds of dollars, depending on the number of pathogens involved.
Groups urge phase-in of RHD genotyping
October 2015—It may not be quite like boxing frogs or herding cats. But gaining broad consensus on a laboratory medicine practice can be difficult, especially where multiple organizations must agree. A new joint statement on RHD genotyping by the CAP and the AABB, plus four other organizations, shows that such consensus is possible, however, even where it involves a laboratory medicine practice in place for more than 50 years—especially when advances in molecular testing are offering a solution to a problem.
Case closed: discrepant results at multiple sites
October 2015—As hospitals are brought under single health systems, laboratory leaders are faced with the task of ensuring that their clinical lab results are comparable among various sites and instruments. But some have had more opportunity than most to investigate the mischief afforded by variations in instruments, reagents, and more.
Make no mistake — PT referral not allowed
October 2015—No one plans to screw up.Take the worker carrying out maintenance duties at a Damascus, Ark., U.S. Air Force base one evening in 1980. Surely the only thing on his mind was doing a decent job and going home. Unfortunately, his good intentions didn’t prevent him from accidentally dropping a socket from a socket wrench.
For now, first still last in primary HPV testing
October 2015—Not long after the FDA approved a primary HPV screening algorithm for women age 25 and older, in April 2014, things began to stir on the Western front—specifically, in Bellingham, Wash., where Northwest Pathology is based. “We started offering it pretty much right after the FDA approved it,” says Ryan Fortna, MD, PhD, director of molecular pathology at the regional, independent anatomic pathology group.