Training pathologists to assess stromal tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes in breast cancer synergises efforts in clinical care and scientific research Review


Authors: Ly, A.; Garcia, V.; Blenman, K. R. M.; Ehinger, A.; Elfer, K.; Hanna, M. G.; Li, X.; Peeters, D. J. E.; Birmingham, R.; Dudgeon, S.; Gardecki, E.; Gupta, R.; Lennerz, J.; Pan, T.; Saltz, J.; Wharton, K. A. Jr; Ehinger, D.; Acs, B.; Dequeker, E. M. C.; Salgado, R.; Gallas, B. D.
Review Title: Training pathologists to assess stromal tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes in breast cancer synergises efforts in clinical care and scientific research
Abstract: A growing body of research supports stromal tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) density in breast cancer to be a robust prognostic and predicive biomarker. The gold standard for stromal TIL density quantitation in breast cancer is pathologist visual assessment using haematoxylin and eosin-stained slides. Artificial intelligence/machine-learning algorithms are in development to automate the stromal TIL scoring process, and must be validated against a reference standard such as pathologist visual assessment. Visual TIL assessment may suffer from significant interobserver variability. To improve interobserver agreement, regulatory science experts at the US Food and Drug Administration partnered with academic pathologists internationally to create a freely available online continuing medical education (CME) course to train pathologists in assessing breast cancer stromal TILs using an interactive format with expert commentary. Here we describe and provide a user guide to this CME course, whose content was designed to improve pathologist accuracy in scoring breast cancer TILs. We also suggest subsequent steps to translate knowledge into clinical practice with proficiency testing. © 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
Keywords: tumor associated leukocyte; lymphocytes, tumor-infiltrating; breast cancer; breast neoplasms; artificial intelligence; breast tumor; pathologist; pathologists; continuing medical education; humans; prognosis; human; female; tumour infiltrating lymphocytes; pathology education; foamed
Journal Title: Histopathology
Volume: 84
Issue: 6
ISSN: 0309-0167
Publisher: Wiley Blackwell  
Date Published: 2024-05-01
Start Page: 915
End Page: 923
Language: English
DOI: 10.1111/his.15140
PUBMED: 38433289
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC10990791
DOI/URL:
Notes: Review -- Source: Scopus
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  1. Matthew George Hanna
    101 Hanna