Training activity information
Details
Review cellularity, necrosis and tumour burden of histological samples, for the following pathologies:
- Skin cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Gynaecological cancer
- Breast cancer
- Urological cancer
Type
Developmental training activity (DTA)
Evidence requirements
Evidence the activity has been undertaken by the trainee​.
Reflection on the activity at one or more time points after the event including learning from the activity and/or areas of the trainees practice for development.
An action plan to implement learning and/or to address skills or knowledge gaps identified.
Considerations
- Local SOPs and/or proforma
- Professional guidelines
- EQA
- Impact of assessment on down-stream analysis
- Consideration of digital technology and its use
Reflective practice guidance
The guidance below is provided to support reflection at different time points, providing you with questions to aid you to reflect for this training activity. They are provided for guidance and should not be considered as a mandatory checklist. Trainees should not be expected to provide answers to each of the guidance questions listed.
Before action
- Why are cellularity, necrosis, and tumour burden important factors to assess in these pathologies?
- Do you have a good understanding of basic tissue histology and the appearance of normal versus cancerous tissue?
- Are you familiar with the microscopic features of cellularity, necrosis, and different levels of tumour burden?
- Do you know the potential impact of inadequate cellularity, significant necrosis, or low tumour burden on molecular testing?
- How will this activity improve your ability to accurately assess the quality and suitability of histological samples for further analysis?
- What will you learn about the practical considerations of sample preparation for molecular testing?
- How will you develop your skills in communicating these observations effectively?
- Review histological slides of the listed cancers, focusing on examples of varying cellularity, necrosis, and tumour burden.
- Discuss with your training officer the criteria used in your department for assessing these parameters.
- Consider potential challenges in quantifying these features and think about strategies for consistent assessment.
In action
- What criteria are you using to assess cellularity, necrosis, and tumour burden? Are these criteria clear and consistently applied?
- What immediate estimations are you making regarding the extent of these features?
- Are there any challenges in distinguishing between these features in the samples you are reviewing? How are you overcoming these challenges?
- How does the macroscopic information (if available) inform your assessment at the microscopic level?
On action
- What were the variations in cellularity, necrosis, and tumour burden across the different cancer types?
- Were there any specific features that were particularly notable or challenging to assess?
- How did your assessment compare to any provided reference points or expected findings?
- How did this review improve your ability to assess these key histological features?
- What factors can influence the cellularity, necrosis, and tumour burden in these cancers?
- Were there any discrepancies or uncertainties in your assessment?
- What did you learn from these?
- How important is the assessment of these features for diagnosis and prognosis?
- What specific criteria will you use in the future when assessing cellularity, necrosis, and tumour burden?
- What further learning will you undertake to refine your assessment skills?
- How will you integrate this assessment into the broader context of a pathology report?
Beyond action
- How has your subsequent experience in dissecting malignant specimens and writing histological reports deepened your understanding of the importance of accurately assessing cellularity, necrosis, and tumour burden during the initial review of histological samples in this DTA?
- Considering the link between macroscopic description and microscopic diagnosis, how does your current understanding of this relationship influence your reflection on how you approached the review of these features in this DTA?
- Have you encountered cases where the assessment of these features had significant implications for patient prognosis or treatment planning? How does this inform your view of this initial training activity?
- Looking back, how has this activity contributed to your ability to effectively capture, annotate, and describe microscopic images of malignant pathologies?
Relevant learning outcomes
| # | Outcome |
|---|---|
| # 3 |
Outcome
Identify molecular tests request for the investigation of malignant pathologies and prepare samples for testing. |