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November 2015

3 new NGS Surveys on CAP 2016 PT launchpad

November 2015—More than two years ago, when the CAP decided to move forward with proficiency testing for next-generation sequencing, the decision point was modest. “We estimated that about 35 labs would subscribe, based on survey information, and that was sufficient for us to move forward,” says Karl V. Voelkerding, MD, chair of the CAP Next-Generation Sequencing project team.

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Molecular Pathology Selected Abstracts, 11/15

November 2015—Off-label use of molecularly targeted therapy: Advances in technology allow for genetic and molecular profiling of tumors, findings that are useful for guiding molecularly targeted therapy. Molecularly targeted agents are usually tested and developed on groups of tumors based on histologic type and primary location, but many genetic abnormalities overlap across tumor types.

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For proven natriuretic peptides, still much to be learned

November 2015—Natriuretic peptides could well be the Western canon of heart failure markers. The search for newer, perhaps more relevant, biomarkers continues, but BNP and NT-proBNP remain worthy of study. In their more classic roles, they are used to recognize heart failure as well as to stratify risk, where higher concentrations of either biomarker indicate a higher risk for complications, says cardiologist James Januzzi Jr., MD.

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Leveraging urinalysis for value-based health care

November 2015—Tim Skelton, MD, PhD, knows a fair amount about how to enhance the clinical value of urinalysis. It’s a subject that, as medical director of the core laboratory and laboratory informatics at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Mass., he’s been focused on for the past three years. But he didn’t exactly set out to become an expert in that particular area. He was mainly trying to figure out why his laboratory was experiencing repeated urinalysis quality assurance failures.

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28 given awards for notable and longtime service

November 2015—Donald S. Karcher, MD, was presented Oct. 4 with the Pathologist of the Year award during the spotlight event at the CAP ’15 annual meeting in Nashville. At the same event, at the Gaylord Opryland, Rajesh C. Dash, MD, was given the Pathology Advancement award, and Latha Pisharodi, MD, received the CAP Foundation Gene and Jean Herbek Humanitarian award. Mary L. Paton, MT(ASCP), was given the CAP Staff Outstanding Achievement award.

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Anatomic Pathology Abstracts, 11/15

November 2015—Variation in reporting extraprostatic extension after radical prostatectomy: Extraprostatic extension of prostate cancer in radical prostatectomy specimens significantly affects patient management. The authors evaluated the degree of interobserver variation between uropathologists at a tertiary referral teaching hospital in assessing the extraprostatic extension of prostate cancer in radical prostatectomy specimens.

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Put It on the Board, 11/15

November 2015—Approvals mark ‘tip of the iceberg’ for PD-L1 testing: What the FDA giveth, the FDA may taketh away. On Oct. 2, the agency approved the use of Merck’s immunotherapy drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) to treat patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer whose disease has progressed after chemotherapy and whose tumors express the PD-L1 protein. Dako’s IHC 22C3 pharmDx test kit was approved as a companion diagnostic for use with the drug.

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Newsbytes, 11/15

November 2015—Collaborative prepares pilot on managing genomic data in EHRs: As genetic testing travels the path from rare to routine, it simultaneously provides answers and poses problems. One such problem is rooted in the question, How can electronic health record systems organize and display genomic information in a standardized, interoperable format that best supports clinical decision-making?

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Q&A column, 11/15

November 2015—Is there a recommended procedure for or reference article about checking APTT reagent sensitivities (for the identification of factors VIII and IX) when changing lot numbers and reference range? The activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) clot-based assay is a global test used to detect factor deficiencies in patients with a bleeding diathesis or as a preoperative screen to ensure normal coagulation laboratory parameters before an invasive procedure.

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Clinical Pathology Abstracts, 11/15

Editor: Deborah Sesok-Pizzini, MD, MBA, professor, Department of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and chief, Division of Transfusion Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Altered lysosomal proteins in neural-derived plasma exosomes in preclinical Alzheimer disease It is necessary to identify biomarkers to detect patients at risk for Alzheimer disease well before neurological signs ...

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Mislabeling, wrong-blood-in-tube errors rare but there

November 2015—Blood is thicker than water, the saying goes. And thanks to a recent Q‑Probes, the rates of mislabeled specimens submitted for ABO blood typing and of wrong-blood-in-tube errors are now as clear as water. The mislabeling rate hasn’t changed much since a similar Q‑Probes study was performed in 2007. The 2015 Q‑Probes, “Blood Bank Safety Practices,” reviewed 41,333 specimens and found that 306, or 0.74 percent, were mislabeled. The previous study looked at 112,112 specimens, of which 1,258, or 1.12 percent, were mislabeled.

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Analyze this: data shines within and without

November 2015—At PAML patient service centers, patients fresh from a blood draw may spot a kiosk that asks, “How was your experience today?” Responding is as easy as pushing one of four buttons with facial expressions that range from a broad smile to a major frown. The kiosk’s manufacturer, HappyOrNot, says about 20 percent of customers across a spectrum of industries will stop to register their level of satisfaction.

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