Precision Cancer Medicine. Role of the Pathologist

Part I Introduction.- Rationale & Role of Pathology in Personalised Precision Cancer Medicine.- Part II Preparation & Analysis of Cancer Samples for Digital & Computational Pathology Analysis.- Methods of Tissue Preparation & Analysis.- Part III Precision diagnostic, prognostic and predictive analysis of cancer for personalised cancer medicine.- Cancer Typing & Reporting.- Cancer Specific Applications.- Part IV Developing Digital and Computational Technology and Methods for Predictive Cancer Analysis.- Cancer Agnostic Predictive Analysis.- Development of Multiplexed Analysis.- Part V Future of Pathology in Cancer Medicine.- Discussion from a pathologist’s perspective the fears and opportunities of the increasing use of digital and computational analysis in cancer pathology.- Conclusion.

This book describes the changing role of pathology in aiding reproducible and accurate patient selection for predictive cancer therapy. Particular attention is given to the clinical application of cutting-edge cancer biomarkers to accurately select patients for targeted cancer therapy and how artificial intelligence can improve the precision of treatments. The advent and basis of predictive cancer care, the role of pathologists in translational cancer research, the analysis of cancer samples, the management of biopsy results, and the accuracy of biopsy results are also discussed.

Precision Cancer Medicine: Role of the Pathologist details how pathologists can use the latest biomarkers and apply artificial intelligence technology in cancer diagnosis and management. It is also relevant to oncologists and medical practitioners involved in cancer management seeking an up-to-date resource on the topic.

Bharat Jasani, BSc, PhD, MBChB, FRCPath. Qualifying with honours in Biochemistry (University of Glasgow,1965-1969), PhD in Experimental Pathology and MBChB (honours distinction in Pathology) (University of Birmingham, 1970-1973), Dr Jasani initiated his clinical and research training in Histopathology, at Wales National School of Medicine in 1977, achieving MRCPath (1989), FRCPath (1997), and a Specialist Consultant’s status in Histopathology (Immunohistochemistry) (1993); and Personal Chair in Oncological Pathology (2003). Following his retirement as the Head of Histopathology and Academic Pathology (2003-2011), he continued as Professor of Pathology, Institute of Cancer & Genetics, Cardiff University & Associate Postgraduate Dean for Academic Medicine in Wales (2011-2015). He was then appointed as the Chair of Biomedical Sciences, Nazarbayev University School of Medicine. Astana, Kazakhstan, with Adjunct Professorship in Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburg, USA (2015-2016). In 2016 he took up his current position as the Director of Pathology, Targos Molecular Pathology GmbH, Kassel, Germany, which was acquired by Discovery Life Sciences in 2021. Over the past 40 years Dr Jasani has devoted himself to advancing cancer pathology based on the use of cancer biomarkers. As the Head of Molecular Diagnostic Unit, University Hospital of Wales (1982-2003), he led the development and establishment of diagnostic immunocytochemistry & molecular pathology services in Cardiff and Wales. He also promoted quality assurance and standardization of cancer biomarker analyses as Breast Cancer Module Leader of UKNEQAS of IHC/ISH, and UK’s lead representative on International Working Group on Standardization of Breast Cancer Biomarking, and the United States Sub-Committee on Quality Assurance for Immunocytochemistry. As Principal Investigator and Co-investigator of several translational research projects on development of predictive biomarkers for colorectal and breast cancer, he has also been invited to act as a Consultant and Key Opinion Leader to several leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies. He is an author of a book, over 50 chapters and reviews and more than 200 peer reviewed research publications.

Ralf Huss, M.D., Ph.D. Ralf Huss holds an M.D. degree from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, and Ph.D. degree from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich. Following internships and residencies in Medicine, Immunology and Transplantation Biology at the Memorial-Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in NYC, the University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA, Dr. Huss was appointed senior resident at the Institute of Immunology in Essen, Germany in 1994, before he moved to the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich to complete his training in anatomical, surgical and molecular pathology. In 2005 he was appointed Global Head of Pathology and Tissue Biomarker at the Pharmaceutical company Roche (Switzerland and Germany). After pioneering the integration of image analysis and computational pathology into the clinical histopathology workflow together with the Nobel Laureate Gerd Binnig at Definies / AstraZeneca, in 2020, Dr. Huss returned to academia and is currently Professor and Deputy Director at the Institute of Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics and at the Institute for Digital Medicine, University Hospital Augsburg, Germany. Professor Huss has published more than 150 scientific papers and 4 books in the fields of cell therapy, tissue phenomics and artificial intelligence in pathology. Dr. Huss holds several patents and has served as a Board member and / or consultant to a number of private and public corporations.

Clive Roy Taylor, M.D., D. Phil., MRCP (Ir), FRCPath. Clive Taylor holds M.A. and M.D. degrees from the University of Cambridge, and M.A. and D. Phil degrees from the University of Oxford. Following internships in Medicine and Surgery at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, Dr. Taylor was appointed Lecturer at the University of Oxford, in 1970. A " Fellowship" in Cancer Research took Dr. Taylor to the University of Southern California (USC) in 1975, where he worked on lymphoma with Robert Lukes. In 1984 he was appointed to the Chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at USC, a position that he held for 25 years. In 1998 Professor Taylor also accepted the post of Senior Associate Dean for Educational Affairs at the Keck School of Medicine, USC, a role that he filled until July 2009. Professor Taylor is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists (U.K.), a Diplomate of the American Board of Pathology, and a Member of the Royal College of Physicians (Ireland). He was President of the U.S. Association of Pathology Chairs from 1996-1999, President of the U.S. Biological Stain Commission, from1994 – 1998, and is a member of the Royal Society of Medicine (UK). Professor Taylor Chaired an FDA Advisory Panel for Diagnostic Devices and Radiology until 2007. Professor Taylor has published more than 450 scientific papers and 12 books, in the fields of immunohistochemistry, cancer, lymphoma research, digital pathology and education. Dr. Taylor holds several patents, is Editor-in-Chief of Applied Immunohistochemistry and Molecular Morphology, and has served as a Board member and / or consultant to a number of private and public corporations.