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November 2013

Put It on the Board, 11/13

November 2013—Myriad Genetics presented last month new clinical data from a study with myRisk Hereditary Cancer, a 25-gene hereditary cancer panel, that showed a 60 percent increase in mutations detected in cancer predisposition genes in patients with a prior history of colon cancer, polyps, or both. Myriad presented this study and data from four others at the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Colorectal Cancer Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif.

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Anatomic Pathology Selected Abstracts, 11/13

November 2013—Diagnostic and prognostic morphometric features in WHO 2003 invasive endometrial stromal tumors; Association of tumor staging with adverse clinical outcome in neuroendocrine tumors of appendix; Detection of HPV capsid proteins L1 and L2 in squamous intraepithelial lesions; Feasibility and safety of sequential research-related tumor core biopsies in clinical trials; Evaluation of breast amyloidosis finds AL type most prevalent; Outside case review of surgical pathology for referred patients: impact on patient care; Reporting trends for right-sided hyperplastic and sessile serrated polyps; Atypical leiomyomas of the uterus: a clinicopathologic study of 51 cases; Pathological diagnostic criterion of blood and lymphatic vessel invasion in colorectal cancer

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Newsbytes, 11/13

November 2013—New connectivity standards nearly ready to roll; CAP and mTuitive create application for care of cancer patients; European firm purchases Centricity LIS from GE; NovoPath offers Citrix platform for AP system; AHRQ tool focuses on lab test processes in medical offices; Brazilian hospital selects Cerner system

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New programs next year in gyn, nongyn cytopathology

November 2013—Participants in the CAP cytopathology programs will have new modules to select and new cases to learn from in 2014. Samples of static images that accompany the Touch Imprint/Crush Prep cases. In gynecologic cytopathology, a new L module for education will feature liquid-based SurePath and ThinPrep slide methods only. These will be designated PAPL/APAPL, with a choice of series one or two.

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Awards, honors given for sterling service

November 2013—Philip T. Cagle, MD, was presented Oct. 13 with the Pathologist of the Year award during an evening event at the CAP ’13 annual meeting in Kissimmee, Fla. At the same event, at the Gaylord Palms Orlando, Feriyl Bhaijee, MBChB, was honored as Resident of the Year, and Si Van Nguyen, MD, received the second annual CAP Foundation Gene & Jean Herbek Humanitarian award.

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Juggling IT demands—labs, vendors open up

Hopes, fears, frustrations, and change. In time for our annual LIS product guide (pages 23–38), that’s what CAP TODAY asked LIS companies and lab users of IT about. What we heard was talk of uncertainty, complexity, finite IT resources, the need to stay current, and, as one company president put it, “swimming with an anchor” attached. Here’s what they told us.

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Results reporting in microbiology: What’s needed, what’s not?

November 2013—After the patient specimens have been collected and the tests have been performed, after the legwork is complete and the results are in hand, reporting clinical microbiology findings should in theory be the easy part—the final step before an effective treatment plan is formed. But as any seasoned clinical microbiologist knows, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

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In predicting CKD risk, eGFR better when based on cystatin C

November 2013—Like turning around an ocean-going tanker, changing widely accepted testing practices in kidney disease, one of the nation’s most common disorders, may have to be done gradually. But the latest study comparing the biomarkers cystatin C and creatinine, published in the Sept. 5 New England Journal of Medicine (2013;369:932–943), is the most sweeping study to date and should provide new impetus to wider use of cystatin C.

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From the President’s Desk: PT for the passionate and the savvy, 11/13

November 2013—PT for the passionate and the savvy I believe that most pathologists and laboratory professionals enjoy refining systems and processes to further promote quality practices in their laboratories. We may not think about discipline and precision when somebody mentions passion, but passion is what those inclinations represent. While passionate pathology can manifest in a host of ways, this month I’d like to talk about how it drives excellence in CAP Surveys or proficiency testing (PT) programs.

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Keys to curbing tube interference with test results

November 2013—There’s nothing flashy about specimen tubes, which may look like the most mass-produced, commonplace items in the laboratory, but appearances can be deceptive. All tubes are not created equal. “We know that preanalytical errors account for the majority of errors in the laboratory, and many of those errors derive from the tube type in which you collect your sample,” says Leslie J. Donato, PhD, co-director of the hospital clinical laboratory and point of care at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

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Q & A, 10/13

October 2013—We are standardizing procedures across our system. In thrombocytopenic patients with low platelet counts, some sites perform manual platelet counts using the Unopette system; others perform slide estimates to confirm an automated count. The need for improved turnaround times and greater accuracy and precision is clear. Are there studies that have evaluated the true accuracy of a low platelet count via a manual dilution technique versus the many automated techniques, and is there a true value in performing the time-consuming manual platelet count?

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