Advancing practice at the intersection of molecular diagnostics and surgical pathology

Molecular diagnostic techniques such as next generation sequencing have gained a firm foothold in clinical practice over the last decade, with profound implications for patients with cancer. Access to this technology has enabled biomarker development for selection of precision therapy, more granular prognostication, and accurate diagnosis. Molecular profiling may provide a “ground truth” against which morphologic diagnoses can be benchmarked, enabling feature identification that can drive more accurate H&E diagnosis. Examples of ways in which molecular diagnostics has influenced surgical pathology will be discussed. Strategies for employing the data gleaned from large molecular data sets to enhance routine diagnostics will be reviewed, with an emphasis on challenging scenarios arising in thoracic pathology.
After viewing this lecture, participants should be able to:
1. Describe advances in molecular diagnostics that have informed new strategies for tumor classification.
2. Define examples of robust immunohistochemical-molecular correlates in diagnostic practice.
3. Recognize cost effective strategies for translating molecular observations into routine clinical diagnostic practice.
Lynette Sholl, MD
Associate Professor, Pathology
Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School
Associate Director, Center for Advanced Molecular Diagnostics; Chief of Thoracic Pathology
05/04/22