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Webinars and Sponsored Roundtables — Register Now

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

CAP TODAY does not endorse any of the products or services named within. The webinar is made possible by a special educational grant from Roche.

Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY

Register Now

Thursday, October 29, 2026, 1 PM-2 PM ET
Hear an expert discuss the evolving role of PD-L1 testing in HNSCC and ovarian cancer.

Webinar presenter Georgios Deftereos, MD, Professor of Pathology, Associate Director of the Clinical Cancer Genomics Laboratory, Director of Molecular Cytopathology, University of California, San Francisco

CAP TODAY does not endorse any of the products or services named within. The webinar is made possible by a special educational grant from Agilent.

Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY

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Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 1 PM-2 PM ET
Hear an expert discuss the challenges of detecting NRG1 fusions and how RNA-based testing can support more comprehensive fusion identification in clinical practice.

Webinar presenter Benjamin Weinberg, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Attending Physician
specializing in gastrointestinal medical oncology

CAP TODAY does not endorse any of the products or services named within. The webinar is made possible by a special educational grant from Diaceutics.

Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY

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Monday, November 16, 2026, 12:30 PM-2 PM ET
Hear experts discuss a multidisciplinary approach to oncopathology for HER2
assessments for solid tumors in the absence of a companion diagnostic.

Webinar presenters Funda Meric-Bernstam, MD, Chair, Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics Medical Director, Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, and Emina E. Torlakovic, MD, PhD, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Canadian Biomarker Quality Assurance, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and Carol Cheung, MD, PhD, JD, FRCPC, Deputy Director, Canadian Biomarker Quality, Assurance—Programme canadien d’assurance de la qualité des biomarqueurs

CAP TODAY does not endorse any of the products or services named within. This program is being sponsored by Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. and AstraZeneca. The speaker is being compensated for the presentation. The program is not CME accredited and may not be used for CME accreditation.

Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY

Register Now

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Q&A column

Q&A column

March 2023
Q. What is the best method to quantify ketones in serum? Can urine strips be used to detect ketones in serum? Read answer.

Q. Is it acceptable to run hemolyzed specimens for coagulation testing? We have a Stago analyzer for coagulation testing and some of my co-workers run hemolyzed specimens on it. Read answer.

Q. I am a medical laboratory scientist who would like to move into a laboratory information technology/information systems career to support the growing need of professionals in that aspect of health care. What education is advised and what licensing is required, and do you have any suggestions on how to make such a move? Read answer.

Q&A column

February 2023
Q. What is the most specific serologic test for diagnosing IgG4-related disease? Read answer.

Q. Our new endocrine clinic is monitoring estradiol levels in transgender male patients (female to male) and asked if our standard estradiol immunoassay is appropriate to use in this setting. What do you recommend? Read answer.

Q&A column

January 2023
Q. I am updating our procedure for blood draw volume limits and using So You’re Going to Collect a Blood Specimen: An Introduction to Phlebotomy, 15th edition, by Frederick L. Kiechle, MD, PhD, as a guide. The chart in the manual lists volume limits for a single blood draw at 2 cc/kg. Other charts online list 2.5 cc/kg and a maximum milliliters per 30-day period that is twice the single blood draw (5 cc/kg). I am going to use 2 cc/kg and add a column for maximum milliliters in a 30-day period at 4 cc/kg.

The phlebotomists are confused about whether a single blood draw means every day of the patient’s admission or if you would take the single blood draw and only allow the remainder of the 30-day limit. You could essentially draw the single blood draw volume limit on day one and the remainder on day two. Please clarify. Read answer.

Q. An oncologist contacted the laboratory to ask if our standard estradiol immunoassay was appropriate to monitor her breast cancer patients who are on an aromatase inhibitor. What should I say? Read answer.

Q&A column

December 2022
Q. What is the appropriate way to measure or identify microcytosis or macrocytosis? Read answer.

Q. A six-year-old female with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and Rh-negative blood is being treated with myeloablative chemotherapy to achieve durable remission or as a bridge to stem cell transplantation, during which supportive transfusions will include repeated platelet transfusions over many weeks. Clinicians are concerned that the patient could become alloimmunized to the D antigen, which, in turn, could affect her ability to eventually bear children.

Apheresis platelets contain a small but finite amount of RBC contaminants, which are not usually quantitated. An optimal strategy to prevent anti-D alloimmunization is to use Rh-negative platelets, but they are often in short supply and cannot be ordered stat in a timely enough manner to ensure every platelet transfusion episode is Rh-negative. We considered using Rh immune globulin (RhIg). However, we recognize that commercial RhIg is designed to prevent D alloimmunization in the setting of obstetric fetal-maternal bleeding.

Is there an optimal dose for RhIg or suggested timing of administration to prevent anti-D alloimmunization in this setting? Read answer.

Q&A column

November 2022
Q. Is secretory change in endometrial hyperplasia acceptable in the absence of progestin therapy? What is the appropriate way to address an endometrial biopsy with secretory glandular changes and an increase in the gland-to-stroma ratio? Read answer.

Q. I want to inquire about verification of target mean/ranges for hematology analytes. We run a control material 20 times and calculate statistics such as mean, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation. We also calculate total analytical error based on a formula (TAE = bias + 2 SD) and compare the TAE with the allowable total error recommended by CLSI and other sources. For example, if TAE for platelets (based on reading control material 20 times) is less than 25 percent (a CLSI recommended value), we accept the target range; otherwise, we reject it. However, since low concentrations of analytes are prone to a higher degree of variation, the aforementioned target range verification process frequently fails.

Is it necessary to accept or reject established target values based on total analytical error? Or is there an alternative way to do that? Read answer.

Q. Should an accelerated APTT result be canceled for being clotted, even in the absence of a visible clot? Read answer.

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Q&A column

October 2022
Q. How many blocks should a histotechnologist with multiple responsibilities cut per day in a semiautomated laboratory? Read answer.

Q. Is it acceptable to release results from an analyzer with flags or alarms if a pathologist sends an email instructing to do so, even if the manufacturer’s instructions state that results with flags or alarms should be verified by another method before reporting? I am referring to hematology analyzer auto-differential results with asterisk flags. The emailed instructions from the pathologist are applied to all samples but are not incorporated into our standard operating procedure.

We report auto-differential results that have asterisk flags and then perform a manual differential. The report, therefore, contains two differential results that, when compared, are almost always different clinically and statistically. Read answer.

Q. How useful is an aPTT value if the value falls below the reference interval? Read answer.

Q&A column

September 2022
Q. The laboratory at which I work uses two proficiency testing programs—from the CAP and an alternate provider—for dermatologists who perform fungal smears. Our laboratory administers challenges for both programs every six months. The dermatologists have variably passed and failed challenges from both programs such that the record of satisfactory challenges alternates between the CAP and the alternate provider’s programs. Is our approach allowed? Do we need to stick with a single PT provider for one year before switching? Read answer.
Q. Should flow cytometry be used to test a cerebrospinal fluid specimen with known or suspected Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease? Our hospital administration is pushing to run such samples. I think the testing should not be done because it would contaminate the instrument and potentially endanger the flow techs. Read answer.

Q&A column

August 2022
Q. Every month our anatomic pathology laboratory amends patient reports. Does the CAP have a benchmark for amended reports, such as how many are acceptable per month? Read answer.
Q. What is the best practice for performing a urine specific gravity test? Which method is preferred—a refractometer or an automated dipstick? Should we correct for elevated glucose and protein or report high specific gravity? Should we correct for x-ray dyes or add a comment and list possible interfering substances? Read answer.

Q&A column

July 2022
Q. When a patient has a hematocrit level of ≥55 percent and a normal PT and APTT, do you still correct sodium citrate and ask for a redraw? Is it crucial to ask for a redraw when the emergency department orders a stat PT and APTT? Read answer.
Q. Obtaining an accurate blood glucose level is hindered by continued glycolysis in the evacuated tube post collection, even if a gray top tube is used. This leads to falsely low blood glucose levels. What can laboratories do to limit ex vivo glycolysis? Read answer.

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