Establishment of a whole slide imaging-based frozen section service at a cancer center

In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in clinical digital pathology (DP). Hardware and software platforms have matured and become more affordable, and advances in artificial intelligence promise to transform the practice of pathology. At our institution, we are launching a stepwise process of DP adoption which will eventually encompass our entire workflow. Out of necessity, we began by establishing a whole slide imaging (WSI)-based frozen section service.

We proceeded in a systematic manner by first assembling a team of key stakeholders. We carefully evaluated the various options for digitizing frozen sections before deciding that a WSI-based solution made the most sense for us. We used a formalized evaluation system to quantify performance metrics that were relevant to us. After deciding on a WSI-based system, we likewise carefully considered the various whole slide scanners and digital slide management systems available before making decisions.

During formal evaluation by pathologists, the WSI-based system outperformed competing platforms. Although implementation was relatively complex, we have been happy with the results and have noticed significant improvements in our frozen section turnaround time. Our users have been happy with the slide management system, which we plan on utilizing in future DP efforts.

There are various options for digitizing frozen section slides. Although WSI-based systems are more complex and expensive than some alternatives, they perform well and may make sense for institutions with a pre-existing or planned larger DP infrastructure.