When diagnosing and treating a patient with breast cancer, the relationship between the surgical oncologist, the breast oncologist, and the pathologist is essential. It is critical that the pathologist is up to date on new guidelines and therapies that can help patients with HER2-low breast cancer.
“As surgical oncologists and breast oncologists, we make a lot of our treatment decisions based on the pathology report,” says Barbara Craft, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, and director of the Breast Cancer Treatment and Prevention Program. “It is important to have a pathologist who is well trained and specializes in breast for most of their practice, or had that for their fellowship. They need to be up to date on the new guidelines and they need to be accessible.”
This collaborative relationship is underscored in ASCP’s award-winning portfolio of education, which is designed to ensure pathologists and laboratory professionals are current in the latest clinical practice recommendations and best practices to ensure optimal diagnosis, testing, and treatment for patients with breast cancer. This education portfolio considers recent advances in research that are leading to new approaches for the diagnosis and clinical management of patients with breast cancer. It incorporates a variety of innovative learning approaches, including microlearning, Twitter-based education, peer-to-peer learning collaboratives, downloadable resources, and podcasts, as well as traditional online modules and recordings.
A critical component of the curriculum is the emphasis on the multidisciplinary team. The discussions among the medical oncologist, surgical oncologist, radiologist, breast radiologist, clinical trials coordinator, and plastic surgeon are beneficial because “we are all sitting in the room talking about the patient, looking at their mammogram or breast MRI,” Dr. Craft says. “If it is not straightforward, we can discuss it as a team. Several thought processes are better than one.”
Dr. Craft chairs a breast conference each week as part of the University Cancer Care Team, where physicians gather to discuss current patient issues, work with clinical trials, and participate in research on drugs that treat breast cancer. The weekly meetings also help the participants appreciate their colleagues’ areas of expertise and serve as a reminder to all that each specimen they review represents an actual patient.
“I am not a pathologist or a surgeon, so I need their input,” Dr. Craft emphasizes. “Meeting once a week helps us develop that relationship and respect for one another. It also helps each other stay up to date when there is a practice change or new data that affects these patients and everyone, that helps keep everyone in the loop.”
To learn about ASCP’s HER2 Low Breast Cancer education and resources, click
here.
