Pathology News Roundup: March 31, 2025

Match Day 2025. Match Day is the annual event in the United States when all medical residency applicants find out where (and in what specialty) they will train. The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) shared some early results in its Advance Data Tables for the 2025 residency programs.

The first Main Residency Match was conducted in 1952 when 10,400 internship positions were available for 6,000 graduating U.S. medical school seniors. This year, an all-time high 40,041 PGY-1 (first-year post-graduate) positions were offered, in the the twenty-seventh consecutive annual increase. The total number of positions, at 43,237, also was an all-time high. The trend in the total number of applicants is more dramatic, rising from 6,000 in 1952 to 52,498 registrants seeking a match in 2025.

Let's focus in on pathology residencies. For 2025, the NRMP reports that 175 pathology programs offered 622 open PGY-1 positions, of which 619 were filled. The number of open pathology positions has been relatively steady for the past five years.

There were 1018 applicants for those 622 open PGY-1 pathology residency positions. 

Learn more about The Match and see this year's Advance Data Tables for the 2025 Main Residency Match at the NRMP website.

Updated Guideline for HPV-Associated Head and Neck Cancers. As oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) have continued to increase in recent years, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) updated its testing guideline to capture new research and emerging technologies to improve diagnostic accuracy.

The CAP’s updated evidence-based practice guideline, “Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Testing in Head and Neck Carcinomas,” was developed by an expert interdisciplinary panel of pathologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, and medical oncologists, and was published March 24 in Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. The updated 2018 guideline aims to enhance and standardize HPV testing practices across pathology practice settings.

Globally, an estimated 30% of oropharyngeal SCCs are HPV-associated. In the United States and parts of Europe, this figure is significantly higher, ranging from 58% to 71% of oropharyngeal SCC.

“Most HPV-associated head and neck carcinomas are first detected by fine-needle aspiration,” said guideline co-chair William C. Faquin, MD, PhD, FCAP. “This guideline significantly clarifies the best approach for HR-HPV testing of FNA samples, resulting in a more accurate and early diagnosis which translates into improved patient care.”

Updates to the guideline include seven strong recommendations, four recommendations, and five good practice statements. Notable updates include:

• Expanded Testing Applications: Broader use of HPV-specific testing, including cytology specimens.
• Enhanced Guidance for OPSCC: Recommendations for HPV-specific testing when p16 immunohistochemistry alone is insufficient.
• Routine Testing for Specific Cancers: Sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma, Cervical metastatic SCC of unknown primary origin, & Cervical fine needle aspiration specimens.
• Optimal Testing Methods: Identification of highest-performing HPV-specific tests with comprehensive HPV type coverage.

This update synthesizes research published since the original guideline’s release and provides actionable guidance for HPV testing in various head and neck carcinomas. It also highlights cell-free HPV testing as a promising emerging technology for future diagnostic applications.

The CAP will reassess the guideline every five years or sooner, as warranted by advancements in research or clinical practice.

CAP House of Delegates & Pathologists Leadership Summit 2025. Your voice matters. Join the CAP at the 2025 House of Delegates & Pathologists Leadership Summit 2025, April 26 to 28, 2025. The event lets pathologists gain the leadership training, advocacy skills, and connections needed to shape the future of the specialty. Then stand with the CAP on Capitol Hill on April 29, as they advocate for pathology and better patient care.

This year's event is based at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C. Attendees will take part in leadership workshops, networking events, and panel sessions on topics like AI in Pathology, Medicare Payment Reform, and LDTs. They'll also hear from candidates running for CAP Governor and President-Elect as they share their leadership visions and platforms.

The CAP’s Hill Day is the final day of the House of Delegates and Pathologists Leadership Summit in April, where pathologists will go to Capitol Hill to ask their members of Congress to support several health care issues important to the specialty.

Register online to take part in this event.