Protocol for the examination of specimens from patients with Hodgkin's disease: a basis for checklists. Cancer Committee, College of American Pathologists

[Basic anatomopathological features of tumors and their extensions. Prognostic and therapeutic implications]

Surgical pathology analysis of biopsies or surgical specimens directly determines the diagnosis of the disease. It gives also the different characteristics that are useful for the establishment of the prognosis and for the treatment of each tumor. We report here a synthesis of the different characteristics of neoplastic lesions, necessary or useful for the establishment of the care program of the patients. These macroscopic and microscopic analyses should result in the most precise possible diagnosis and should take into account a list of other factors that allow the development of an optimal strategy for therapy, and the establishment of prognosis of the tumor. These characteristics include properties of the tumor like the size, shape, exact location, and the grade of the lesion, etc. They also concern the relationship of the tumor with certain structures like the basal membranes, the extracapsular extensions, the stroma reaction, the lymphatic vessels, the nerves, etc. The description of local and loco-regional spreading, as well as the analysis of the surgical margins gives also essential information. Sometimes, the description of modifications induced by neoadjuvant therapy, as chemo or radiotherapy, allows the evaluation of the efficiency of these treatments.

[Gross tumor volume and clinical target volume in radiotherapy: generalities. Definitions and generalities in anatomic pathology]

In the field of oncology, surgical pathology analysis of biopsies or surgical specimens directly determines the care program of each patient. Without going into too much detail, we report here the description of different characteristics of neoplastic lesions, necessary or useful for the establishment of the care program of the patients. These macroscopic and microscopic analyses should result in the most precise possible diagnosis and should take into account a list of other factors which allow the development of an optimal strategy for therapy, and the establishment of prognosis of the tumor. These characteristics include properties of the tumor such as the size, shape, exact location, and the grade of the lesion, etc. They also concern the relationship of the tumor to certain structures like the basal membranes, the stroma reaction, the lymphatic vessels, the nerves, and so forth. The description of local and locoregional spreading, as well as the analysis of the surgical margins gives essential information as well. Finally, in certain cases, the description of modifications induced by neoadjuvant therapy allows the evaluation of the treatment's efficacy.

Protocols for the examination of tumors of diverse sites: introduction. Cancer committee of the College of American Pathologists

This issue of the Archives includes previously unpublished protocols for the examination of specimens removed from patients with cancer of diverse sites. We provide a historical context for the development of these protocols and describe the process of development and approval. General information about the structure and content of the protocols is also provided. Cancer protocol development is an important step in the process of standardized cancer reporting. The value of such standardized reporting is discussed.