NORTHFIELD, Ill. (October 6, 2023)—The CAP will host the inaugural Future of Cancer Data Summit on October 6 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Featuring leading pathologists, informaticians, clinical experts, and patient advocates, the event will focus on how pathology reporting is key to identifying data that leads to personalized patient treatment options.
Every patient’s journey begins with a diagnosis and an accurate and speedy diagnosis can lead to improved patient outcomes. “Digital and technological advances, combined with growth in clinical and research applications, continue to enrich pathology data. Access to this data resource can and will empower patients and caregivers in their journey,” explains Mary Edgerton, MD, FCAP, chair of the CAP Pathology Electronic Reporting (PERT) Committee.
The full potential of pathology data to support research, public health initiatives, population science, and quality improvements has not been fully realized. Each year, healthcare organizations generate staggering amounts of data, but it is inherently siloed in pathology Laboratory Information Systems (LIMS). "The Future of Cancer Data Summit is an opportunity to break those silos open and explore how to utilize pathology data to uncover insights that transform patient care, quality improvement programs, public health initiatives, and cancer research,” states Dr. Edgerton.
Why Study Cancer
The Centers for Disease Control reports that cancer was the second leading cause of death in the United States in 2020 (prior to the pandemic) when 1,603,844 new cancer cases were reported and 602,347 people died of cancer. Even more poignant is the incidence of pediatric cancers, recently recognized as a point of focus by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Pediatric cancers are the leading cause of death in children, and the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative is focused on integrating pathology data with research and patient outcomes. “In any age group and for any cancer type, pathology data is a critical piece of cancer research,” explains Dr. Edgerton. “While cancer registries are tasked with collecting incidence, treatment, and morbidity and mortality rates for cancer, the burden of collecting these data given the increasing incidence of cancer has led to a two-year lag before cancer statistics are available.”
The Childhood Cancer Data Initiative seeks to make this a near real-time process. The availability of technology to discretize and electronically transfer data from pathology reports should play a central role in achieving this goal, and not just for pediatric cancers but for all cancers. “The benefits include timely evaluation of incidence rates, recognition of cancer clusters, the ability to aggregate cases of otherwise rare tumors for study, and the potential for a patient portal to access information about treatment centers with the most expertise and best outcome,” says Dr. Edgerton. “This alone would be a great victory in the war on cancer.”
About the College of American Pathologists
As the world’s largest organization of board-certified pathologists and leading provider of laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing programs, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. For more information, visit the CAP Newsroom, CAP.org and yourpathologist.org to watch pathologists at work and see the stories of the patients who trust them with their care. The Cancer Protocols, which the CAP published as best practice guidelines for pathology reporting on cancer, are available at cap.org.
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