Implementing structured pathology reporting protocol for non-melanocytic skin cancers: practical considerations.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pathology
• Public Health

Background:

• Non-melanocytic skin cancers (NMSCs) are highly prevalent, posing significant clinical and economic burdens.
• Lack of standardized structured pathology reporting protocols (SPRPs) hinders accurate NMSC diagnosis, patient management, and data collection for research.
• Existing NMSC reporting lacks standardization, impacting prognostic tool development and health-economy planning.

Discussion:

• A multidisciplinary committee developed an NMSC SPRP, informed by a systematic literature review and external peer review.
• Pathologists noted challenges with a single protocol for diverse NMSC specimens and biological behaviors.
• Stakeholder feedback led to restricting SPRP implementation to head and neck NMSC excision specimens and excluding low-risk NMSCs.

Key Insights:

• The NMSC SPRP addresses an unmet clinical need for standardized reporting in high-risk cases.
• Successful deployment required limiting the protocol to higher-risk NMSCs and providing adaptable templates for laboratory systems.
• The protocol's initial scope balances clinical utility with the complexities of NMSC pathology.

Outlook:

• Future implementation may expand to include all NMSC specimens, including non-head and neck and low-risk types.
• Further refinement of SPRPs may be needed to accommodate the full spectrum of NMSC presentations and specimen types.
• Continued collaboration between pathology and clinical specialties is crucial for optimizing NMSC reporting standards.