Pathology News Roundup: May 1, 2025

New CAP Cancer Protocols. New protocols for endocrine tumors and updated existing protocols for breast cancer diagnoses are now available from the College of American Pathologists (CAP). These and other updates to protocols reflect the latest scientific advancements, ensuring that pathology reports provide oncologists with precise information to guide cancer diagnosis and treatment decisions.

New Endocrine Tumor Protocols

New standardized reporting protocols for rare and complex endocrine tumors will improve diagnostic clarity for:

• Paraganglioma and Pheochromocytoma (PPGL): These protocols address the high rate of germline predisposition and unique biomarkers of PPGLs, offering a standardized reporting framework that aligns with the 2022 WHO classification. They help ensure consistent evaluation and reporting of clinically relevant parameters, and also by providing guidance in the distinction of multifocal primary tumors from metastatic disease in patients with hereditary syndromes.
• Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors (PitNET): As the first-ever CAP protocol for PitNETs, this guidance supports accurate tumor subtyping and characterization, informed by the latest WHO/IARC classification. The protocol aids in recognizing developmental transcription factors and tumor subtypes, helping to guide appropriate clinical management and improve diagnostic precision.

“Accurate, standardized and detailed pathology reporting protocols better support integrated clinical care for patients with PPGLs and PitNETs,” said lead author of the CAP endocrine cancer protocols, Ozgur Mete, MD, who is a member of the CAP Cancer Committee.

Breast Cancer Protocol Enhancements

Updates in breast cancer biomarker reporting were made to ensure identification of patients potentially eligible for new treatments:

• Updated biomarker reporting for expanded treatment indications : Recent clinical trials and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals have driven updates to ensure metastatic breast cancer patients are accurately matched with the latest targeted therapies.
• Refined HER2 reporting: Enhanced reporting for HER2 status helps guide appropriate scoring and reporting to ensure accurate treatment options.
• Standardized report comments to emphasize clinical relevance: Optional, standardized comments clarify key terms such as HER2 “low” and “ultralow,” improving understanding of clinical trial criteria and treatment relevance.

“For metastatic breast cancer, more detailed HER2 reporting was needed to keep up with the latest treatment approvals,” said Kimberly Allison, MD, FCAP, co-author of the CAP breast cancer protocol update. “These updates are critical for determining if cancer patients are eligible for rapidly evolving treatment options."

Lab Week 2025. This year marks the 50th anniversary of celebrating Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (Lab Week). Taking place annually during the last week of April, Lab Week provides an opportunity for formal recognition of the invaluable contributions made by laboratory professionals.

Voicebrook was proud to honor the incredible work of our clients during Lab Week — the pathologists, pathologists’ assistants, cytotechnologists, lab managers, administrative staff, and everyone in the pathology community — who make a difference every day.

Our Client Engagement team visited 15 of Voicebrook's client sites to offer our thanks and support their Lab Week festivities with some goodies and donations. Want to see who we visited and how our clients celebrated? Check out our Voicebrook blog!

Hill Day Recap. The 2025 Pathologists Leadership Summit took place in late April and featured the Spring House of Delegates meeting, educational courses, advocacy programming, and the College of American Pathologists' annual Hill Day. On Hill Day, pathologists go to Capitol Hill to ask their members of Congress to support several health care issues important to the specialty.

CAP members outside the Capitol on Hill Day 2025. Image courtesy of the CAP.

On April 29, CAP members had a very busy day of advocacy on behalf of the specialty and patients. Participants set a record for in-person attendance, with 138 pathologists leading more than 170 meetings with House and Senate members and staff. Thirty-five pathologists made their first visits to Hill offices.

Here's what CAP members had to say about their Hill Day meetings:

"It's been great advocating for my profession and meeting with the offices of my senators and representatives. Today, we just met with our congressional Representative [Greg Murphy, MD]. It was exciting to talk and advocate for our issues in health care and for our patients.” - John Markantonis DO, D(ABMM), FASCP, FCAP

"[The staffer] understood the language and had interacted with pathologists before. It was an incredibly great meeting. It was very fun to meet with her." - Junior Member Marc Rodriguez, MD, MBA

"I definitely have the bug. I love coming up here and… this year has not been a disappointment. It's been a jam-packed day full of meetings, but it's been so much fun to exercise my right to advocate on behalf of my patients and the profession." - Diana Cardona, MD, MBA, FCAP