Adequate tissue sampling for the assessment of pathological tumor regression in pancreatic cancer

Standardized pathological evaluation of the regression assessment of neoadjuvant pancreatic cancer is necessary to improve prognostication and compare treatment outcomes in clinical trials. However, appropriate tissue sampling from surgically resected pancreatic cancer after neoadjuvant therapy has not been elucidated. We compared the tumor regression scores in the largest cancer slide determined macroscopically or histologically. We reviewed all slides and macroscopic photos of cut surfaces from resected pancreas of patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n = 137; chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy). The tumor regression scores (the Evans, College of American Pathologists, Japanese Pancreas Society grading systems, and Area of Residual Tumor [ART] score) were evaluated for the largest tumor slide determined by macroscopy or histologically as well as all slides from the resected pancreas. The largest cancer slides determined macroscopically and histologically were discrepant in 26% of the cases. Cancer cells were not detected in the largest macroscopically defined cut slides in 3%. Only ART scores assessed in the largest histological slides displayed significant difference in overall survival. We recommend obtaining the largest histological slides to provide adequate assessment for regression of neoadjuvant-treated pancreatic cancer. Sufficient sampling to detect the largest histological slides would be mandatory.