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Clinical Application of Image Analysis in Pathology
1Department of Pathology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO.
Advances in Anatomic Pathology
|May 30, 2020
Summary
Digital image analysis (DIA) offers objective and reproducible quantification of cancer biomarkers, improving upon manual methods. Overcoming adoption barriers through standards and AI can enhance its clinical use.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pathology
- Medical Diagnostics
Background:
- Quantitative biomarkers are crucial for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
- Manual biomarker quantitation is common, but digital image analysis (DIA) is increasingly used, representing 25% of quantitative immunohistochemistry (IHC) tests.
- DIA is established for breast cancer biomarkers (ER, PR, HER2) and expanding to gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (HER2) and neuroendocrine tumors (Ki-67).
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the benefits and challenges of digital image analysis (DIA) for quantitative immunohistochemistry (IHC) in clinical laboratories.
- To highlight the advantages of DIA over manual quantitation for cancer biomarker analysis.
- To identify barriers to DIA adoption and potential solutions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies comparing manual and digital image analysis for IHC biomarker quantitation.
- Analysis of current clinical applications and limitations of DIA in pathology.
- Discussion of emerging technologies and standards impacting DIA implementation.
Main Results:
- DIA provides increased objectivity, accuracy, and reproducibility compared to manual IHC quantitation.
- Significant barriers to DIA adoption include workflow integration, lack of standardization, implementation costs, and reimbursement issues.
- Potential solutions involve international standards (DICOM), digital pathology workflows, AI, and new clinical applications.
Conclusions:
- DIA offers substantial benefits for quantitative IHC biomarker analysis in cancer diagnostics.
- Addressing integration, standardization, and cost barriers is essential for widespread clinical adoption.
- Future advancements in technology and standardization will likely accelerate DIA implementation in pathology labs.
