CAPcasts

Both networking and publishing are important for academic pathologists to succeed, according to Dr. Roseann Wu, a staff pathologist and assistant professor of clinical pathology & laboratory medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia. In this CAPcast, Dr. Wu discusses why networking and publishing are so vital and how membership in the CAP can benefit academic pathologists. Dr. Wu’s recently wrote a blog on the issue, "CAP Membership for the Academic Pathologist," now posted on CAP.org: https://capatholo.gy/2AqanZA.

Effective laboratory management not only benefits the staff, but improves patient safety and patient care. However, many laboratory directors grapple with serious issues related to budget constraints as well as responding effectively to demanding clinician colleagues, according to Dr. Paul Bachner, a professor and immediate past chairman of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine’s Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Dr. Bachner will be teaching a course on this topic at CAP18, which will be held Oct. 20-24 in Chicago: www.capannualmeeting.org.

Discussing the subject of an autopsy can be a very difficult process for both the bereaved family member being asked and for the health care professional making the request. In this CAPcast, Dr. Harold Sanchez, a member of the CAP's Autopsy Committee, and Dr. Tom Smith, an oncologist and the Director of Palliative Care at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, discuss the consent process for the performance of a hospital autopsy as well as advice on how to best navigate the process with family members.

In this CAPcast, Dr. Diana Cardona discusses what pathologists need to know about the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, also known as MACRA. Dr. Cardona, the Medical Director of the Surgical Pathology and Immunopathology Laboratories at Duke University Medical Center, is teaching a course on this topic with Dr. Stephen Black-Schaffer at CAP18 in Chicago, which will be held Oct. 20-24: www.capannualmeeting.org.

Many pathologists struggle with diagnostic questions surrounding cervical adenocarcinoma. In this CAPcast, Drs. Christina Kong and Teri Longacre, both pathologists with Stanford Healthcare in California, discuss the diagnostic challenges related to cervical adenocarcinoma, criteria for distinguishing reactive changes, as well as explaining the Silva classification system and how it applies to invasive adenocarcinomas. Drs. Kong and Longacre will be teaching a course on this topic at CAP18 which will be held Oct. 20-24 in Chicago: capannualmeeting.org.

This year’s CAP annual meeting features 25 new courses, creating a diverse portfolio of programs central to every pathologist’s daily practice.

In this CAPcast, Duke University pathologist Dr. Sarah Bean discusses how attending CAP18, held in Chicago, Oct. 20-24, can benefit pathologists. Dr. Bean is the Chair of the CAP Curriculum Committee.

For more information on CAP18, visit http://www.capannualmeeting.org.

It’s never too early for pathologists to devote time to develop their leadership skills, according to Dr. Adam L. Booth, the Chief Pathology Resident at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He is also a delegate to the AMA, a member of the CAP Digital Content Committee, and a member of the CAP Residents Forum. In this CAPcast, Dr. Booth shares tips for pursuing professional development as a new-in-practice pathologist. Dr. Booth is also a graduate of the CAP's Engaged Leadership Academy. Applications are currently being accepted for the 2018 ELA: https://capatholo.gy/2IYNUl9.

While the clinical use of analytical tests to assess genomic variants in circulating tumor DNA is increasing, there is insufficient evidence of clinical utility and validity for the majority of ctDNA assays in advanced cancer. Recently, representatives from the CAP and the American Society of Clinical Oncology analyzed the current literature on this diagnostic method also known as liquid biopsy. These findings were published in a recent issue of the Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine (https://capatholo.gy/2oMWMD8).

In this CAPcast, one of the CAP members on the panel, Dr. Neal Lindeman, discusses the outcome of the review and what pathologists need to know about the findings. Dr. Lindeman is an Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and the Director of the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Pathologists need to be knowledgeable and keep pace with the recent advances in cytological classifications to modify the way specimens are processed, reviewed, reported, and managed. Two new cytological classifications, the Paris System for urinary cytology and the Milan System for salivary gland cytology have changed and will continue to change the practice of these challenging sites.

In this CAPcast, Dr. Jeffrey F. Krane, chief of the head and neck pathology service at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, and Dr. Eva Wojcik, Chair of Pathology at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, discuss what pathologists need to know about these two new classification systems. Drs. Krane and Wojcik will be teaching a course on this topic at CAP18 which will be held Oct. 20-24 in Chicago. Learn more about CAP18 (#cap18chi): http://www.capannualmeeting.org/.

Subspecialty signout is becoming increasingly common in surgical pathology. In this CAPcast, Dr. Christa Whitney-Miller, Director of Surgical Pathology at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, talks about what’s driving this change as well as the benefits and drawbacks. Dr. Whitney-Miller will be teaching a course on this topic at CAP18, which will be held Oct. 20-24 in Chicago. To learn more about CAP18, visit www.capannualmeeting.org.