The Pathologist in the Era of Immunotherapy

The job of the pathologist is crucial in the era of precision medicine and immunotherapy. Pathologists need not only to correctly diagnose and classify tumors, but also aid in the selection of the best treatment strategies based on the presence or absence of critical biomarkers. Because tumors are heterogeneous, this includes discussion with the interventionalist about which lesions to sample in metastatic disease and selection of the best area of tumor for analysis in resections. While next generation sequencing techniques provide a plethora of data about mutations, gene expression and copy number, the pathologist must interpret these results in the context of the histologic appearance of the sample. In this webinar, Dr. Bloom will review the challenges faced by pathologists today with the emergence of immunotherapy and explain the critical role of the pathologist in assessing the tumor and its microenvironment.