[Individualization and standardization in head and neck pathology]

Individualization and standardization are seemingly contradictory requirements in medicine. In the treatment of head and neck cancer, both terms have a direct influence on diagnostic procedures, which are usually carried out in pathology institutes. The current article examines the conflicting requirements arising from various technical analyses, regulatory requirements, structural changes due to digitalization, and the advent of personalized medicine. On the one hand, the goal is to promote interdisciplinary exchange by understanding the challenges and, on the other, to provide the otorhinolaryngologist with a practical understanding of the common and current pathological diagnostic tests. Using pathology as an example, it can be shown that standardization of procedures ultimately serves to improve individualized treatment. At the same time, however, the following challenges are also apparent: despite comprehensive regulations and a laboratory environment with digital support, standardization is very time consuming and costly. If similar standardization approaches are to be implemented in an operative environment such as, e.g., ENT surgery, the effort involved can be expected to be equivalent or higher due to the human factor.