What Every Neuropathologist Needs to Know: Update on cIMPACT-NOW.

Area of Science:

• Neuro-oncology
• Molecular Pathology
• Cancer Classification

Background:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) classification of central nervous system (CNS) tumors is the standard for diagnosis and grading.
• Rapid molecular pathogenesis discoveries necessitate faster integration into clinical practice than current WHO update cycles allow.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the progress made by the consortium to inform molecular and practical approaches to CNS tumor taxonomy-not official WHO (cIMPACT-NOW) working committees.
• To highlight advancements in CNS tumor classification and grading informed by molecular insights.

Main Methods:

• Review of progress from three separate cIMPACT-NOW working committees.
• Analysis of challenges and solutions in CNS tumor classification and grading.

Main Results:

• Significant progress has been made by cIMPACT-NOW committees in addressing classification and grading challenges.
• Integration of molecular data into CNS tumor taxonomy is advancing.

Conclusions:

• cIMPACT-NOW is crucial for bridging the gap between molecular discoveries and clinical application in CNS tumor classification.
• Continued efforts are needed to refine and implement molecularly informed diagnostic criteria for CNS tumors.