NEW SPECIAL COURSE

 Monday, February 28, 2011   —  8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

INTRODUCTION TO MOLECULAR PATHOLOGY FOR THE PRACTICING PATHOLOGIST: TECHNOLOGY, ASSAY INTERPRETATION, AND PITFALLS



COURSE DIRECTORS:
Jennifer L. Hunt, M.D., M.Ed.
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA

Course Description
It is becoming more and more important to go beyond morphology in the pathologic assessment of tumors, with incorporation of molecular testing into our diagnostic algorithms. While much of this testing may be performed in molecular pathology laboratories, surgical pathologists need to be comfortable with their understanding of the technology associated with these tests in order to select adjunctive tests, incorporate molecular results into their interpretive reports, and to lead clinicopathologic correlation. Molecular pathology is a rapidly evolving specialty, with novel technologies and new complex testing being introduced all the time. However, basic technologies, including polymerase chain reaction, in situ hybridization, sequencing, and others, underpin most molecular anatomic pathology tests today. This course will provide an overview to these fundamental molecular technologies at an introductory level. The faculty will use both didactic lectures and case presentations to illustrate the techniques, discuss the interpretation of the results, and highlight some of the pitfalls of the molecular testing. A selection of standard technology, specialized techniques, and emerging assays will be introduced. The course is designed specifically for the practicing pathologist or trainee who wants to gain comfort with currently available molecular anatomic pathology techniques and result interpretation.

Overall Objectives:

  • The participant will be able to identify diagnostic surgical pathology cases that might benefit from additional molecular testing.

  • The participant will be able to select the optimal technology, based on the type of tissue samples available.

  • The participant will be able to interpret some common molecular test results.

  • The participant will recognize potential pitfalls in molecular testing for commonly applied tests.

  • The participant will understand the basic techniques that underpin commonly available molecular anatomic pathology assays.

  • The participant will be introduced to specialized techniques and potential emerging technologies for molecular anatomic pathology testing.
Introduction to Basic Molecular Pathology Techniques: Fixation, Microdissection, and Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Assays
Jennifer L. Hunt, M.D., M.Ed., Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
  • The participant will be able to recognize the affects of fixation on nucleic acids and will be able to select assays that are appropriate to the tissue material available.

  • The participant will be able to describe the phases of a standard polymerase chain reaction.
Loss of Heterozygosity and Microsatellite Instability in Tumors: Mechanisms, Testing, and Clinical Implications
Wade Samowitz, M.D., University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City, UT
  • The participant will be able to define and explain the biologic mechanism behind loss of heterozygosity and microsatellite instability.

  • The participant will be able to describe the clinical utility and methods of testing for these molecular alterations.
Introduction to In Situ Hybridization Technology, Interpretation, and Pitfalls
Long Phi Le, M.D., Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
  • The participant will be able to select the appropriate approach for translocation testing in clinical testing.

  • The participant will be able to describe the pitfalls in interpretation and scoring of FISH based testing.
Copy Number Detection by Chromosomal Microarray Analysis
Long Phi Le, M.D., Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
  • The participant will be able to describe the role of copy number variation in genetics and disease.

  • The participant will be able to characterize the methodology, utility and limitation of chromosomal microarray analysis.
Principles and Applications of Real-Time Quantitative PCR
Janina Longtine, M.D., Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
  • The participant will be able to explain the basic chemistry of real-time quantitative PCR and distinguish it from end-point PCR.

  • The participant will be able to illustrate a clinical application of real-time quantitative PCR.
Applications of Tissue Genotyping in the Routine Practice of Surgical Pathology
Pei Hui, M.D., Ph.D., Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
  • The participants will be able to understand the basic technical aspects of short tandem repeat (STR) genotyping analysis using conventional tissue specimens.

  • The participants will be able to describe clinical diagnostic applications of STR genotyping for surgical pathology.
HPV Detection: Testing Methodologies and their Clinical Utility
Jennifer Laudadio, M.D., Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC
  • The participant will be able to explain the role of Human Papillomavirus in oncogenesis.

  • The participant will be able to describe the clinical indications, appropriate sample types and available methods for HPV detection.
Sequencing to Detect Oncogene Mutations in Clinical Anatomic Pathology Applications
Jennifer Hunt, M.D., M.Ed., Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
  • The participant will be able to identify the best approach for detecting oncogene mutations in tumor samples

  • The participant will be able to recognize the pitfalls in common approaches for oncogene detection technology.
Questions and Answer