Histopathology Services Research Articles

PDOC-02 SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN EXPERIENCE OF NEUROSURGICAL-ONCOLOGIC CARE: CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS ENCOUNTERED AT 7 CANCER TREATMENT CENTERS

Abstract BACKGROUND Wide disparities in neurosurgical-oncologic care and treatment outcomes exists globally despite recent improvements in diagnostics and cancer therapy. To better understand the challenges to neurosurgical-oncologic care in low resource settings, we collected data on national neurosurgery capacity and hospital diagnostic and treatment capacity across 7 national referral hospitals in 7 countries Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). METHODS A 42-item self-administered questionnaire was distributed to partner neurosurgeons at the 7 sites via REDCap in April 2023 to provide country and hospital level capacity data on neurosurgical-oncologic care. RESULTS Neurosurgical and neurosurgical-oncologic care was reported to be available in a limited number of provinces/states/regions in 6 out of the 7 countries. The neurosurgery and pediatric neurosurgery workforce density across the 7 countries ranged between 0.03 – 0.67 per 100,000 and 0 – 0.05 per 100,000 respectively. Three hospitals had no pediatric ICU with the remaining four having between 2-8 bed-capacity pediatric ICU. One hospital did not have both CT and MRI scanner available and relied solely on private diagnostic facilities for neuroimaging. Histopathology services were largely limited to basic hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and/or advanced histopathology staining. Molecular subtyping was available at only one hospital. None of the 7 hospitals had neurocritical care expertise, neuroradiologist, or neuropathologist. Four hospitals had a pediatric anesthesiologist. Only one hospital had a neuro-oncologist, but none had a pediatric neuro-oncologist. Both adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy was unavailable at 3 hospitals. Rehabilitation was largely limited to basic physical and occupational therapy at all 7 hospitals. Although all 7 countries had a multiple health payer system, the payment structure differed across the 7 hospitals for different neurosurgical-oncologic services with patients making out-of-pocket payments for all services in some cases. Financial constraint was reported as a major barrier to care. CONCLUSION System-level interventions are needed to strengthen neurosurgical-oncologic care capacity in SSA.

Sub-Saharan African experience of neurosurgical oncology care: challenges and barriers encountered at 7 cancer treatment centers

OBJECTIVE Wide disparities in neurosurgical oncology care and treatment outcomes exist globally despite recent improvements in diagnostics and cancer therapy. To better understand the challenges to neurosurgical oncology care in low-resource settings, the authors collected data on national neurosurgical capacity and hospital diagnostic and treatment capacity across 7 national referral hospitals in 7 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). METHODS In April 2023, a 42-item self-administered questionnaire was distributed to partner neurosurgeons at the 7 centers via REDCap to provide country- and hospital-level capacity data on neurosurgical oncology care. RESULTS Neurosurgical and neurosurgical oncology care were reported to be available in a limited number of provinces, states, regions, and counties in 6 of the 7 countries. The general neurosurgical workforce density across the 7 countries ranged from 0.03 to 0.67 per 100,000 persons, and that of the pediatric neurosurgical workforce ranged from 0 to 0.05 per 100,000 persons. Two centers had no pediatric ICUs, and the remaining 5 centers had pediatric ICUs with bed capacities between 1 and 8. One hospital had neither a CT nor an MRI scanner available and relied solely on private diagnostic facilities for neuroimaging. Histopathology services were largely limited to basic histopathology staining only; molecular subtyping was available at a single center. Three hospitals offered pediatric anesthesia expertise. None of the hospitals offered subspecialty neuro-oncology care or had a pediatric neuro-oncologist. None of the 7 hospitals had formal neurocritical care, neuroradiology, or neuropathology expertise. Neither adjuvant chemotherapy nor radiotherapy was available at 3 centers. Rehabilitation was largely limited to basic physical and occupational therapy at all 7 centers. Although all 7 countries had a multiple health payer system, the payment structure differed across the 7 hospitals for different neurosurgical oncology services, with patients making out-of-pocket payments for all services in some cases. CONCLUSIONS There are significant challenges to timely and quality neurosurgical oncology care in SSA especially for children. System-level interventions are needed to strengthen neurosurgical oncology care capacity in SSA.

DeepDOF-SE: affordable deep-learning microscopy platform for slide-free histology

Histopathology plays a critical role in the diagnosis and surgical management of cancer. However, access to histopathology services, especially frozen section pathology during surgery, is limited in resource-constrained settings because preparing slides from resected tissue is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and requires expensive infrastructure. Here, we report a deep-learning-enabled microscope, named DeepDOF-SE, to rapidly scan intact tissue at cellular resolution without the need for physical sectioning. Three key features jointly make DeepDOF-SE practical. First, tissue specimens are stained directly with inexpensive vital fluorescent dyes and optically sectioned with ultra-violet excitation that localizes fluorescent emission to a thin surface layer. Second, a deep-learning algorithm extends the depth-of-field, allowing rapid acquisition of in-focus images from large areas of tissue even when the tissue surface is highly irregular. Finally, a semi-supervised generative adversarial network virtually stains DeepDOF-SE fluorescence images with hematoxylin-and-eosin appearance, facilitating image interpretation by pathologists without significant additional training. We developed the DeepDOF-SE platform using a data-driven approach and validated its performance by imaging surgical resections of suspected oral tumors. Our results show that DeepDOF-SE provides histological information of diagnostic importance, offering a rapid and affordable slide-free histology platform for intraoperative tumor margin assessment and in low-resource settings.

Cytological Evaluation of Fine Needle Aspiration of Breast Lesions Using IAC Yokohama Classification System for Reporting Breast Cytopathology

Introduction: Breast cancer is rapidly emerging as the leading cause of cancer in Indian women. Cytopathology and histopathology services are required to tackle this growing burden. The use of International Academy of Cytology (IAC) Yokohama Reporting System of breast cytology by classifying them into five categories insufficient, benign, atypical, suspicious and malignant. (IAC) Yokohama Reporting System offers structured protocols, are expected to improve breast cytopathology reporting. Objective : The main objectives of our study were to classify breast fine needle aspirates according to the IAC Yokohama system and assess the risk of malignancy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy. Methodology: All breast FNAs done in the above period were retrieved and classified into five categories according to the Yokohama system. Histopathological diagnosis was also retrieved wherever available. Results: The new “International Academy of Cytology (IAC) Yokohama system” was used to categorize 205 patients into five categories based on the cytologic diagnosis. That C1: insucient material (7.8%), C2: benign (64.3%), C3: atypical (7.3%), C4: suspicious of malignancy (7.8%), and C5: malignant (12.6%). Risk of malignancy (ROM) was calculated which was 100% in Yokohama category I, IV and V. In category II ROM was 00% and in category III ROM was 55.5%. FNAC correlation with histopathology was significant (P Value=<0.01 & Chi square value 40.7). Conclusion: The IAC Yokohama system is an excellent system for accurately diagnosing breast fine needle aspirate. Keywords: Histopathology, International Academy of Cytology Yokohama System, Fine­ Needle Aspiration Biopsy Cytopathology

Molecular pathology in breast disease: diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic tools.

Molecular testing in breast cancer gained increasing attention and importance as specific molecular results can tailor not only oncological decisions on systemic adjuvant or neoadjuvant orin metastatic setting, but increasingly serve in diagnostic routine histopathological services to differentiate between morphologically overlapping or ambiguous histological pictures. Diagnostic tools involve in most cases a broad spectrum of immunohistochemical panels, followed by entity-specific in situ hybridization probes and in given cases NGS-based sequencing. Workflow of which methodology is applied and in which order depends on the specific entity resp. onthe given differential diagnosis in question. Regarding prognostic/predictive molecular testing, the choice of assay and the workflow are based on clinical algorithms and on the evidence of targeted therapies following the molecular alterations. In this review paper, we aim to address the use of molecular technics in [1] the histological diagnostic setting (such as subtyping of invasive carcinomas/malignant spindle cell tumors and sarcomas and some B3 lesions) and [2] in the context of adjuvant or neoadjuvant or other clinicalsettings with special focus of targeted therapies.

Evaluation of Fine Needle Aspiration for diagnosis of Tuberculous Lymphadenitis in Children using the Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra at the University Teaching Hospitals Children’s Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia

Background: Tuberculous Lymphadenitis (TBL) is the commonest form of Extra Pulmonary TB and poses diagnostic challenges in setting with no access to Histopathology. Our goal was to evaluate the diagnostic yield of Xpert MTB Ultra performed on lymph node aspirate obtained using Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) in children with suspected TBL. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary and main referral hospital in Zambia. Children aged 6 months to 15 years with lymphadenopathy and presumed TBL were enrolled. FNA was performed and lymph node aspirate samples were analysed using XPERT MTB/RIF ULTRA. Data was collected and analysed as frequencies and percentages. Logistic regression was used to measure the odds of testing positive for MTB. Results: Sixty one children were enrolled in the study, 34(55.7%) were males and a median age of 6 years (IQR: 3-11 years). Sixteen (26%) were diagnosed with TB, 7 on clinical basis while, one was positive on gastric lavage, five (31%) were positive for TB on lymph node FNA using Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra. Then, 3 were positive Histopathology, with one also positive on XPERT MTB/RIF Ultra. Alternative diagnosis included malignancies like lymphomas and acute Leukemias. While non malignant lymphadenopathy included, benign reactive lymphadenopathy and HIV associated lymphadenopathy. The prevalence of HIV among the children diagnosed with TB was 37.5% (6/16). Thirty one percent (5/16) of children with TB had a close contact with TB, OR=9.0 (95% CI: 1.3-77, p-value (<0.05). Conclusion: TBL is not uncommon in children presenting with Lymphadenopathy. FNA is a less invasive, inexpensive technique and coupled with use of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra has potential for early diagnosis of TBL, in a low resource setting with limited Histopathology services.

Utility of Whole Slide Imaging for Intraoperative Consultation: Experience of a Large Academic Center.

In the United States, review of digital whole slide images (WSIs) using specific systems is approved for primary diagnosis but has not been implemented for intraoperative consultation. To evaluate the safety of review of WSIs and compare the efficiency of review of WSIs and glass slides (GSs) for intraoperative consultation. Ninety-one cases previously submitted for frozen section evaluation were randomly selected from 8 different anatomic pathology subspecialties. GSs from these cases were scanned on a Leica Aperio AT2 scanner at ×20 magnification (0.25 μm/pixel). The slides were deidentified, and a short relevant clinical history was provided for each slide. Nine board-certified general pathologists who do not routinely establish primary diagnoses using WSIs reviewed the WSIs using Leica Aperio ImageScope viewing software. After a washout period of 2-3 weeks, the pathologists reviewed the corresponding GSs using a light microscope (Olympus BX43). The pathologists recorded the diagnosis and time to reach the diagnosis. Intraobserver concordance, time to diagnosis, and specificity and sensitivity compared to the original diagnosis were evaluated. The rate of intraobserver concordance between GS results and WSI results was 93.7%. Mean time to diagnosis was 1.25 minutes for GSs and 1.76 minutes for WSIs (P < .001). Specificity was 91% for GSs and 90% for WSIs; sensitivity was 92% for GSs and 92% for WSIs. Time to diagnosis was longer with WSIs than with GSs, and scanning GSs and uploading the data to whole slide imaging systems takes time. However, review of WSIs appears to be a safe alternative to review of GSs. Use of WSIs allows reporting from a remote site during a public health emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic and facilitates subspecialty histopathology services.

Current Practice Of Histopathology In Pakistan: Difficulties, Challenges, And Solutions.

Histopathology is the gold standard for diagnosis of cancers as well as many non 14 neoplastic diseases. Pakistan is a country of more than 220 million people and the fifth most populated country of the world. Unfortunately, it has a weak healthcare system in general and poor pathology services in particular. Till date, only 338 histopathologists have passed their fellowship examination in Pakistan; this has led to a very alarming situation considering the marked increase in the prevalence of cancer cases and other diseases which need histopathological interpretation. There are only 18 big histopathological labs in the country, the majority of which are located in major cities which further delays the diagnosis of patients who live in rural areas. Immediate steps are required for better histopathology services in the country. Adoption of digital tools may bridge the gaps of histopathology-practice and ensure consistency across the country.

Routine Pathology Examination of Breast Tissue in Adolescent Reduction Mammaplasty: Not Cost Effective in a 7-Year Review.

Routine pathology examination of breast tissue in reduction mammaplasty (RM) is performed with aims of detecting incidental malignancy or risk-increasing lesions. In adolescent patients, the reported incidence ranges between 0% to 0.01%, and costs of pathology claims range between $23 and $614 per analysis. We aim to investigate the rate of incidental findings and the cost-effectiveness of routine pathology examination in adolescent RM. A single-center retrospective review of the pathology results for 132 breast specimens from 66 consecutive RM patients was performed. Data collected for analysis included breast cancer risk factors, demographic information, and operative variables. Zero cases of incidental malignant or risk-increasing lesions were found among the 132 breast specimens from 66 patients aged between 10 and 24 years. Of the 132 specimens, 34 (26%) contained benign fibrocystic disease, which was significantly associated a body mass index greater than 30 kg/m 2 and tissue resection weight greater than 1000 g per breast ( P = 0.003, P = 0.007) respectively. Based on the available data, the use of routine specimen analysis costs more than US $150 million for one breast cancer diagnosis during RM in this age group. In our study, zero atypical, precancerous, or cancerous lesions were detected in a 7-year analysis. The results of this study support the current literature, which reports no occurrence of incidental findings in young women and may promote a greater understanding of evidence-based healthcare spending while concomitantly decreasing the strain placed on histopathology services.

Spectrum of Oral and Maxillofacial Tissue Biopsies at the Foremost Tertiary Institution in The Gambia: A Retrospective Review.

Sub-Saharan Africa has a heavy burden of oral diseases and cancers. Also, there is a dearth of published records of oral pathology services in The Gambia. Therefore, this review aimed to determine the prevalence of biopsied oral and maxillofacial lesions in order to ascertain the uptake of oral histopathology services at the foremost tertiary institution in The Gambia. This was a retrospective study performed at the Pathology Department of Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital. Reports of all oral and maxillofacial biopsies submitted for the period 2012 to 2021 were reviewed and data were extracted. Descriptive analysis was done using SPSS software, version 26. Total number of biopsy reports was 158 representing 0.02% over the study period. The mean age of patients was 34.3 ± 19.7 years, the 3rd decade was the peak age of presentation and male-to-female ratio was 1:1.6. Majority (65/41.1%) of the cases were benign neoplastic lesions, and the mandible was the most (21/13.3%) common site of biopsy. Reactive lesions were the predominant (34/21.5%) group and squamous cell carcinoma had the highest (24/15.3%) number of lesions while odontogenic tumours constituted six cases only (3.8%). The findings of this study showed low uptake of oral histopathology services while biopsied oral and maxillofacial lesions were prevalent in female patients in the third decade of life. Also, the mandible was the most affected site whereas benign neoplastic diagnoses were most common. However, this study recorded a higher proportion of malignancies than some previous studies.

Diffuse Midline Glioma H3 K27M-altered: the diagnostic challenges faced in a developing country – a case report and literature review

ABSTRACT The H3 K27M - altered is a recognized subtype of diffuse midline gliomas. These brain tumours primarily occur in children, but cases have been documented in young adults. They are World Health Organization Grade IV tumours, with median survival of 12 months. There is a poor response to chemoradiotherapy, and molecular testing is required for an accurate diagnosis. We report on a young female with a diffuse midline tumour, who succumbed to her illness after a period of seven months. Diagnostic challenges ensued due to the unavailability of molecular analysis locally, and the diagnosis was made post-mortem. This case aims to promote awareness of this pathology, and the need to increase local histopathological services.

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MALIGNANT AND PREMALIGNANT INJURIES OF THE HISTOPATHOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS SERVICE OF A UNIVERSITY

<h3>Objectives</h3> Squamous cell carcinoma is the most frequent malignant lesion of the oral cavity. There are several premalignant lesions in the literature that present different levels of dysplasia, and the correct diagnosis is essential to prevent progression. The present study aimed to evaluate the incidence of malignant and premalignant lesions in the Histopathological Diagnostic Service of a university in southern Brazil. <h3>Study Design</h3> 1318 reports issued by the Histopathological Diagnosis Service between 2002 and 2020 were analyzed, establishing the prevalence of injuries with the presence of mild, moderate, and intense dysplasia and carcinomas. <h3>Results</h3> 82% of patients were male and the most prevalent site was the tongue (50%), followed by the alveolar ridge (20%) and palate (16%). Histopathologic diagnosis was squamous cell carcinoma for 38.93% of cases, followed by mild epithelial dysplasia and moderate epithelial dysplasia. Among patients diagnosed with cancer, 84% had a smoking habit. Smoking increased the chance of developing carcinoma in the oral cavity by 4 times. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Most patients who developed squamous cell carcinoma used tobacco. The study demonstrates the association with malignant lesions in the mouth and reinforces the importance of good anamnesis focusing on the history of tobacco use.

SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE PAROTID GLAND: CASE REPORT

The objective of this study is to report a case of a resection of a squamous cell carcinoma in the left parotid, highlighting aspects related to diagnosis and treatment in a 72-year-old White female patient who attended the maxillofacial service reporting an increase in volume in the preauricular region, hard to palpation, with painful symptomatology and approximately 1 year of evolution. After previous biopsy, the patient underwent tumor resection in the left preauricular region under general anesthesia. The pathologic part was referred to the histopathology service of the hospital, which provided a conclusive diagnosis. The patient was followed postoperatively by the maxillofacial team and the medical team without any complications or signs of recurrence. It is concluded that due to the uniqueness of this neoplasm, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment led to a better prognosis of the disease and better quality of life for the patient.

EXTENSIVE RESECTION OF FIBROUS DYSPLASIA IN MANDIBLE WITH FIBULA OSTEOCUTANEOUS FLAP MICROSURGICAL RECONSTRUCTION

The objective is to report a clinical case of an 18-year-old White male patient who reported to the ambulatory of maxillofacial surgery reporting an increase in the mandible on the left side, painless and with 8 years of evolution. On clinical examination, he presented mandibular facial asymmetry with increased volume in regions of body, angle, and mandible branch, causing dental malocclusion. Computed tomography with three-dimensional reconstruction and scintigraphy examination were performed. A biopsy of the lesion resulted in a diagnosis of fibro-bone dysplasia. Considering the aggressive behavior of the lesion and the extent of infiltration of adjacent tissues, the surgical treatment performed was resection of the left mandibular segment using fibula osteocutaneous flap microsurgical reconstruction. The pathologic part was referred to the histopathology service of the hospital, which confirmed the diagnosis. The patient was followed postoperatively without any complications or signs of recurrence.

The ethical challenges of artificial intelligence-driven digital pathology.

Digital pathology – the digitalisation of clinical histopathology services through the scanning and storage of pathology slides – has opened up new possibilities for health care in recent years, particularly in the opportunities it brings for artificial intelligence (AI)‐driven research. Recognising, however, that there is little scholarly debate on the ethics of digital pathology when used for AI research, this paper summarises what it sees as four key ethical issues to consider when deploying AI infrastructures in pathology, namely, privacy, choice, equity, and trust. The themes are inspired from the authors' experience grappling with the challenge of deploying an ethical digital pathology infrastructure to support AI research as part of the National Pathology Imaging Cooperative (NPIC), a collaborative of universities, hospital trusts, and industry partners largely located across the North of England. Though focusing on the UK case, internationally, few pathology departments have gone fully digital, and so the themes developed here offer a heuristic for ethical reflection for other departments currently making a similar transition or planning to do so in the future. We conclude by promoting the need for robust public governance mechanisms in AI‐driven digital pathology.

Oral histopathological diagnosis: A 6-year audit at a tertiary hospital in Gombe, North-East Nigeria

Background: Tissue biopsy is an established method of diagnosis which helps in establishing the various types of lesions. However, contrasting findings may exist depending on facility, personnel available, and geographical region. Aim: To carry out a six-year audit of oral lesions diagnosed through histopathology in our institution. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective review of all histopathologically diagnosed oral lesions within a six-year period. Information retrieved from the patients’ record and analyzed were age, sex, occupation, site, and histological diagnosis. Descriptive statistics of frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation were presented. Results: Two hundred and forty-two oral biopsies consisting of 130 females and 112 males were performed during the study period. Patients age ranged from 1 to 82 years with a mean of 30.2 ± 17.6 years. Lesions were mostly located on the mandible and were mainly benign in nature. The most common benign lesion was ameloblastoma, whereas the most common malignant lesion was squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusion: The prevalence and pattern of presentation of oral lesions in our center are similar to the previous reports from Nigeria and other parts of the world. There is a need to increase the awareness about oral health and availability of oral histopathological services in our center to improve utilization.

Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy Cytopathology of Breast Lesions Using the International Academy of Cytology Yokohama System and Rapid On-Site Evaluation: A Single-Institute Experience

Introduction: Breast cancer is rapidly emerging as the leading cause of cancer in Indian women. Robust cytopathology and histopathology services are required to tackle this growing burden. The use of rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) and the International Academy of Cytology (IAC) Yokohama System for Reporting Breast Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) Cytopathology, which offers structured protocols, are expected to improve breast cytopathology reporting. Methods: We retrieved the cytopathology slides, categorized them by the IAC Yokohama System and histopathology data of all the patients who had been investigated for breast lesions from September 2016 to December 2018, and compared the cytopathology and histopathology. Risk of malignancy (ROM) and performance metrics, like sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, accuracy, and area under the curve were computed. Results: A total of 1,147 FNABs were evaluated, of which 442 (38.5%) underwent ROSE and 624 (54.4%) histopathology. Reported using IAC categories, our cohort recorded 4.9% inadequate, 65.3% benign, 7.8% atypical, 3.3% suspicious for malignancy, and 18.7% malignant lesions. The overall sensitivity and specificity for identifying in situ and malignant lesions were 99.1% and 99.3%, respectively, and were substantially improved by ROSE. ROSE improved the concordance between cytopathology and histopathology from 76.9% to 90.2%, by reducing inadequate (p < 0.001) cases. The ROM increased along a gradient from inadequate to malignant categories, with the gradient being sharpened by ROSE. The false negativity rate was 0.7% and false positivity rate 0%. Conclusion: Incorporating ROSE and the IAC Yokohama System for breast cytopathology reporting improves accurate diagnosis of breast lesions, prevents missed diagnoses, and provides reliable estimates of ROM. These protocols also aid in standardizing a reproducible system for monitoring and auditing of breast pathology services, identify areas that need strengthening, and improve training at pathology centers.

A multi-centre survey reveals variations in the standard treatments and treatment modifications for head and neck cancer patients during Covid-19 pandemic

BackgroundThe onset of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid changes to the practice of head and neck oncology in UK. There was a delay between the onset of the pandemic and the release of guidelines from cancer societies and networks, leading to a variable response of individual centres. This survey was conducted to assess the pre-Covid-19 pandemic standard of practice for head and neck oncology patients and the treatment modifications introduced during the first wave of the pandemic in UK. MethodologyThe UK National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Head and Neck Clinical Studies Group initiated a multi-centre survey using questionnaire to investigate the effect on feeding tube practice, radiotherapy (RT) fractionation and volumes, use of chemotherapy in the neo-adjuvant, concurrent and palliative setting, the use of immunotherapy in the palliative setting, access to radiology and histopathology services, and availability of surgical procedures. Results30 centres were approached across UK; 23 (76.7%) centres responded and were included in the survey. There were differences in the standard practices in feeding tube policy, RT dose and fractionation as well as concurrent chemotherapy use. 21 (91%) participating centres had at least one treatment modification. 15 (65%) centres initiated a change in radical RT; changing to either a hypofractionation or acceleration schedule. For post-operative RT 10 centres (43.5%) changed to a hypofractionation schedule. 12 (52.2%) centres stopped neo-adjuvant chemotherapy for all patients; 13 (56.5%) centres followed selective omission of chemotherapy in concurrent chemo-radiotherapy patients, 17 (73.9%) centres changed first-line chemotherapy treatment to pembrolizumab (following NHS England’s interim guidance) and 8 (34.8%) centres stopped the treatment early or offered delays for patients that have been already on systemic treatment. The majority of centres did not have significant changes associated with surgery, radiology, histopathology and dental screening. ConclusionThere are variations in the standard of practice and treatment modifications for head and neck cancer patients during Covid-19 pandemic. A timely initiative is required to form a consensus on head and neck cancer management in the UK and other countries.

Overview of fertility sparing treatments for cervical cancer.

Until the late 1980s, the mainstay of treatment for cervical cancer has been either hysterectomy or radiotherapy. From the mid to late 1990s, surgical treatments have been focussed more on sparing fertility by preserving the corpus of the womb with trachelectomy or even conserving part of the cervical stroma with a cone biopsy. In carefully selected cases, less radical treatment that preserves the uterus has been considered safe. However, these approaches can be associated with specific operative and obstetric complications such as stitch ulceration, cervical stenosis, late miscarriage, and premature labour. Most guidelines agree that the management of such patients should be centralised in a unit with specialist gynaecological oncology, radiology, and histopathology services supported by specialist cancer nurses.

Timelines to Cervical Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment at a Tertiary Hospital in Botswana.

PurposeTo describe the timelines leading to presentation, diagnosis and definitive treatment among cervical cancer patients at a tertiary treatment center in Botswana.Patients and MethodsThis was a retrospective study that evaluated timelines to diagnosis and linkage to definitive treatment among cervical cancer patients in Botswana. Medical records of 149 patients admitted at Princess Marina Hospital (PMH) from 2012 to 2014 were reviewed from August 2016 to February 2017. Data collected included socio-demographics, stage of disease at presentation, symptom duration at presentation, diagnosis to definitive treatment interval and treatment outcomes on discharge. STATA 12 was used for data analysis. Frequencies and percentages were used to analyse and present the data. This paper is limited to the analysis of records with documented duration of symptoms, histology turnaround time and the diagnosis to treatment interval.ResultsThe median duration of symptoms at presentation (N= 80) was 120 days (range 1–1290). Women who were HIV seropositive, of secondary level education or higher, below 50 years and those with cervical cancer screening history reported shorter duration of symptoms at presentation. Median histopathology turnaround time (N=123) was 27 days (range 3–274), median diagnosis to definitive chemoradiation interval (N=81) was 89 days (range 16–305) while median waiting time for surgery (N=7) was 60 days (range 29–279). Overall, the patients’ journey from the community to definitive treatment was about six months.ConclusionDelayed cervical cancer diagnosis and treatment is multifactorial and entails a complex interplay between patient health-seeking behavioural patterns, robustness of the patient referral and follow-up mechanisms, availability of prompt histopathology services and relay of results, and timely linkage to definitive care. Prioritization of strategies to address hurdles in all these aspects will not only reduce waiting times but also ensure timely management and improved outcomes among patients with cervical cancer.