Introduction to
ADASP Checklists and Guidelines
for Surgical Pathology Reports
of Malignant Neoplasms
Please review the following Introduction to ADASP Checklists for Reporting
of Malignant Neoplasms
PDF
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Checklists and Guidelines
Introduction to ADASP Checklists for Reporting of Malignant Neoplasms
It has been evident for decades that pathology reports are very variable even
within a single institution. Standardization of reporting is the optimal way to
insure that information necessary for patient management, prognostic and
predictive factor assessment, grading, staging, analysis of outcomes and tumor
registries is included in pathology reports. In recent years, two societies
(first ADASP and then the CAP), have undertaken to publish guidelines for the
reporting of common cancers. The CAP assigned multidisciplinary groups of
pathologists, surgeons, radiation and medical oncologists to develop the
protocols. They were then reviewed by other pathologists and clinicians. After
those reviews the protocols were reviewed by multiple CAP committees and finally
approved by the Board of Governors.
The ADASP, in contrast, chose a pathologist expert in each field to assemble
a group from within the pathology community (with clinician input if desired )
to write specific cancer protocols. These were then approved by the ADASP
council and subsequently by the membership. Even though both societies began the
process at approximately the same time the streamlined approach adopted by the
ADASP enabled them to publish years earlier in pathology journals frequented by
anatomic pathologists. While the formats are somewhat different, the contents
are essentially the same.
The American College of Surgery (ACS) Commission on Cancer (COC) accredits
cancer centers in the USA. Recently, the COC decided to require elements, deemed
as essential by the CAP, to be described in all pathology reports in their
accredited cancer centers as of January 2004. Importantly they do not require
that the specific CAP protocols or synoptic reports be utilized. ADASP has
updated all of its protocols to comply with the COC requirements in the form of
37 uniform checklists. The checklists use the staging criteria sited in the
American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 2002 staging manual (sixth edition)
but include a variety of other references listed in each of the checklists.
Moreover, the checklists are formatted for ease of use. They may be used as
templates for uniform reporting and are designed to be compatible with voice
activated transcription.
The different elements in these revised ADASP Diagnostic Checklists have been
divided into Required and Optional . The term Required in this context only
signifies compliance with the COC guidelines. ADASP realizes that specimens and
practices vary and it will not be possible to report these elements in every
case. However, ADASP hopes that pathologists will find these checklists to be
useful in daily clinical practice, while facilitating compliance with the new
COC requirements.
The checklists are in standard PDF file format, and may be easily downloaded
from the ADASP website. They are not to be reproduced, altered or used for
commercial purposes without consent from ADASP.
The Association of Directors of Anatomic and Surgical Pathology, 2003.
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