4 research outputs found
Dilemmas for the pathologist in the oncologic assessment of pancreatoduodenectomy specimens
Molecular tumour pathology - and tumour geneticsMTG2 - Moleculaire genetica van gastrointestinale tumore
Optical sensing for tumor detection in the liver
Background:\ud
There is an increasing trend for optical guidance techniques in surgery. Optical imaging using Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS) can distinguish different tissue types through a specific “optical fingerprint”. We investigated whether DRS could discriminate metastatic tumor tissue from normal liver tissue and thus if this technique would have potential for further implementation into surgical instruments or radiological intervention tools.\ud
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Methods:\ud
A miniaturized optical needle was developed able to collect DRS spectra between 500 and 1600 nm. Liver specimen of 24 patients operated for colorectal liver metastases were analyzed with DRS immediately after resection. Multiple measurements were performed and DRS results were compared to the histology analysis of the measurement locations. In addition, normal liver tissue was scored for the presence or absence of steatosis.\ud
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Results:\ud
A total of 780 out of the 828 optical measurements were correctly classified into either normal or tumor tissue. The resulting sensitivity and specificity were both 94%. The results of the analysis for each patient individually showed an accuracy of 100%. The Spearman's rank correlation of DRS-estimated percentages of hepatic steatosis in liver tissue compared to that of the pathologist was 0.86.\ud
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Conclusions:\ud
DRS demonstrates a high accuracy in discriminating normal liver tissue from colorectal liver metastases. DRS can also predict the degree of hepatic steatosis with high accuracy. The technique, here demonstrated in a needle like probe, may as such be incorporated into surgical tools for optical guided surgery or percutaneous needles for radiological interventions
Global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cytopathology practice: Results from an international survey of laboratories in 23 countries
BACKGROUND: To the authors’ knowledge, the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on cytopathology
practices worldwide has not been investigated formally. In the current study, data from 41 respondents from 23 countries were
reported. METHODS: Data regarding the activity of each cytopathology laboratory during 4 weeks of COVID-19 lockdown were collected and compared with those obtained during the corresponding period in 2019. The overall number and percentage of exfoliative
and fine-needle aspiration cytology samples from each anatomic site were recorded. Differences in the malignancy and suspicious
rates between the 2 periods were analyzed using a meta-analytical approach. RESULTS: Overall, the sample volume was lower
compared with 2019 (104,319 samples vs 190,225 samples), with an average volume reduction of 45.3% (range, 0.1%-98.0%). The
percentage of samples from the cervicovaginal tract, thyroid, and anorectal region was significantly reduced (P < .05). Conversely,
the percentage of samples from the urinary tract, serous cavities, breast, lymph nodes, respiratory tract, salivary glands, central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, liver, and biliary tract increased (P < .05). An overall increase of 5.56% (95% CI, 3.77%-
7.35%) in the malignancy rate in nongynecological samples during the COVID-19 pandemic was observed. When the suspicious
category was included, the overall increase was 6.95% (95% CI, 4.63%-9.27%). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in
a drastic reduction in the total number of cytology specimens regardless of anatomic site or specimen type. The rate of malignancy
increased, reflecting the prioritization of patients with cancer who were considered to be at high risk. Prospective monitoring of the
effect of delays in access to health services during the lockdown period is warranted