Tag Archives: PathologyHorizons

Application and Implementation of AI Driven Screening Processes in Pathology

Dr. Donal O’Shea, Deciphex

Developing deep learning models that account for all variants of abnormality in a given tissue slide can be a challenge requiring extensive and time consuming annotation of thousands of pathology slides by experienced pathologists. The process also needs to effectively account for tissue processing variance and digital pathology scanner selection, which is almost infinite due to the extensive range of interchangeable unit operations available for the pathology lab.

In scenarios where a high percentage of normal content presents, we propose a generalised model for abnormality detection to help identify abnormal content of interest and support the elimination of normal cases from the workflow.  The generalised model as proposed is developed solely from normal cases, requires no annotation of slides as a result and can be rapidly tailored to account for inter-laboratory processing variance.

During his presentation,“Finding Normals: Application and Implementation AI Driven Screen Processes in Pathology”Dr. O’Shea will discuss how such approaches can be leveraged, useful application segments for the technology and how he foresees this capability being embodied in software workflows.

View more on Dr. Donal O’Shea

About Pathology Horizons

Pathology Horizons is taking place from 13-15 September 2018 at the Lough Erne Resort in N.Ireland. It is a unique CPD conference, organised by Cirdan that looks at what lies ahead in pathology. Delegates will learn about new technologies, lines of research and procedural developments that are driving the future of pathology. View Agenda

Please note that given the nature of this boutique style conference that there are only a limited number of places available. If planning on attending booking soon is advisable. Register here

Laboratory Medicine: The Times They Are A Changin’ – Hear more from Dr. Regan at Pathology Horizons

We are looking forward to welcoming  Dr. Irene Regan, Vice President of the Academy of Clinical Scientists and Laboratory Medicine (ACSLM) in Ireland to Pathology Horizons this September.

Dr. Regan will be giving a presentation, entitled “Laboratory Medicine:  The Times They Are a Changin”, which will focus on the key challenges and opportunities of laboratory medicine and address pertinent issues of the day. The 3 I’s concept will be examined; investing in individuals, investing in ideas and investing in infrastructure in order to deliver a modern and up to date laboratory medicine ecosystem of excellence.

A vision for the future will be presented in relation to re-structuring of laboratory based disciplines taking into account the key challenges that face us today and in the future including; laboratory infrastructure, technology trends, global harmonisation of IVDs, health informatics, e-health, connected health, precision medicine, lab in the home and international competition in healthcare. This vision will be presented keeping in mind the need to ensure high quality and reliability of services.

About Pathology Horizons

Pathology Horizons is taking place from 13-15 September 2018 at the Lough Erne Resort in N.Ireland. It is a unique CPD conference, organised by Cirdan that looks at what lies ahead in pathology. Delegates will learn about new technologies, lines of research and procedural developments that are driving the future of pathology. View Agenda

Please note that this conference is open to anyone interested in the area of pathology, however spaces are limited so booking as early as possible  is advisable. Register here

Genome Sequencing as a Diagnostic Aid

There is wide acceptance of the concept of genotype-phenotype correlation in cancers. This concept has been extensively explored in breast carcinogenesis. Early work identified a strong phenotypic signature of breast cancer, which arose in patients with germline BRCA1 mutation. Subsequent data identified four broad intrinsic subtypes of breast cancer, with one being a group of “basal-like” breast cancers, referring to their over-expression of basal cytokeratin markers. Over time, and with transition of intrinsic subtyping to the clinic, the concept of triple-negative breast cancers (i.e., not expressing ER, PR or HER2 by IHC or ISH) evolved as a phenotypic surrogate for “”basal-like” breast cancers. This surrogate was acceptable, given that therapeutic targets available in breast cancer were limited to those directed at the ER/PR pathway and HER2, neither of which were expressed in basal-like breast cancers.

The genomes of several cohorts of triple negative breast cancer have since been analysed. It is clear that they are a heterogeneous group of cancers at the molecular level, with general agreement that some remain true to the basal-like genotype, whilst others have a predominant “immune-activated” or a “mesenchymal” genomic footprint. Still others are nominated “luminal androgen receptor” and are non-basal-like in their molecular profile.

Concomitantly, there has been evolving interest in targeted therapies for TNBC, including targets for basal-like and luminal androgen receptor breast cancers. However, there has been little application of this refined molecular stratification of TNBC in the clinic, possibly due to inaccessibility of genomic analysis for the majority of breast cancers and the fact that the morphological correlates of these TNBC remain under-explored. New technologies, including digital imaging of histology phenotypes, can potentially be recruited to help determine phenotypic subgroups of TNBC relevant to their genotype and therefore their potential targeted therapies. It is possible that these digitally-discovered phenotypes can be applied to stratify TNBC in the routine clinical setting.

Prof. Jane Armes, Clinical Director at NSW Health Pathology in Australia will be discussing further at Pathology Horizons 2018.

About Pathology Horizons

Pathology Horizons is an annual CPD conference that focuses on what lies ahead in pathology. This unique event allows delegates to learn about new technologies, procedural developments and lines of research that are driving the future of Pathology. Unlike other larger pathology conferences, it is a boutique event with only one conference stream. This enables delegates to interact and network with each other as well as with the expert international panel of expert speakers.

Date: 13-15 September 2018

Venue: Lough Erne Resort, N.Ireland

View full agenda
Early Bird ends 31/5/18 – View details on how to register

Dr. Bankhead to speak on how novel open source software platform is revolutionizing digital pathology image analysis

We are delighted to welcome Research Scientist,  Dr. Peter Bankhead to our expert panel of speakers for Pathology Horizons 2018.

Innovation increasingly relies on open tools, standards and software, empowering researchers to test new ideas and make new discoveries.  Reproducibility and standardization in science also crucially depend upon analysis methods being made freely available.

Until recently, digital pathology suffered from the lack of a software platform that would make these things possible.  Faced with a choice between attempting to analyze whole slide images using commercial systems (often prohibitively expensive) or by applying generic open source software (often prohibitively complex), much biomarker analysis in practice continued to be based on visual estimation by pathologists, which is laborious and known to have limited reproducibility.

QuPath was developed to address these issues, and represents the first widely-used, powerful, flexible, extensible and user-friendly open source platform for whole slide image analysis.  Since its release at the end of 2016, QuPath has been downloaded more than 10 000 times and is used worldwide by research groups in both academia and industry.

A central goal of QuPath is to provide the tools for pathologists and image analysts to better work together, advancing the field more rapidly.

During  his presentation at Pathology Horizons, Dr. Bankhead will outline some of the reasons behind QuPath’s success so far, and describe features currently in development that are set to greatly expand its scope and reach for digital pathology and bioimage analysis applications in the near future.

Why attend Pathology Horizons?

The conference is set to be another interesting and extremely informative event with a range of top international speakers demonstrating the power of new technologies, updates on procedural developments and valuable new lines of research – all in a relaxed and open atmosphere! Unlike other larger pathology events, Pathology Horizons is a boutique conference with one conference stream, which allows you to interact and network fully with the delegates and speakers. The conference is also CPD certified and has been awarded with 9 CPD credits by The Royal College of Pathologists.

Some other topics from speakers include: 

  • Artificial intelligence and what it means for healthcare and patholgy
  • Liquid biopsy and what it can do for detecting/treating ovarian cancer
  • Virtual and augmented reality in digital pathology
  • Genome sequencing as a diagnostic aid

View  full Agenda.

Don’t miss out, secure your place today!

Pathology Horizons 2018                                                                                    Lough Erne Resort, N. Ireland                                                                                        13-15th September

Radiology and Pathology Integration – Opportunities Outweigh the Challenges

In recent years, advances in the field of diagnostic medicine have provided enormous benefits to patients with cancer.  However, the increase in complexity of new testing modalities in pathology and radiology has also led to new challenges in gathering all essential information and forming a coherent diagnostic message for a given case.

Opportunities for optimal patient care may be lost, and diagnostic errors might not be prevented, without a formal integration of the various testing modalities in pathology and radiology.  During his presentation at Pathology Horizons 2018, Dr. Wallace will discuss the challenges of pathology and radiology correlation in the current diagnostic paradigm and the numerous opportunities for improved workflows and patient outcomes with an effective diagnostic integration process.

Dr. W. Dean Wallace  is a Professor of Pathology at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine in Los Angeles, California. He is the chief of pulmonary and renal pathology services and is recognised as an expert in the fields of transplant pathology and lung cancer diagnostics. Dr. Wallace is also the Director of the UCLA Telepathology and Digital Pathology Centre and co-led the team that created the innovative, first of its kind, Integrated Diagnostic Report (IDR) that combines multiple radiology and pathology studies into one dynamic reporting platform. Dr. Wallace has authored several dozen peer-reviewed papers and book chapters and was lead editor of a textbook in the field of transplant pathology.

Why attend Pathology Horizons?

The conference is set to be another interesting and  informative event with a range of top international speakers demonstrating the power of new technologies, updates on procedural developments and valuable new lines of research – all in a relaxed and open atmosphere! Unlike other larger pathology events, Pathology Horizons is a boutique conference with one conference stream, which allows you to interact and network fully with the delegates and speakers. The conference is also CPD certified and has been awarded with 9 CPD credits by The Royal College of Pathologists.

Some other topics from speakers include: 

  • Artificial intelligence and what it means for healthcare and patholgy
  • Liquid biopsy and what it can do for detecting/treating ovarian cancer
  • Virtual and augmented reality in digital pathology
  • Genome sequencing as a diagnostic aid

Please note places for the conference are limited. If you are planning on attending, booking soon is advisable.  Register here

Pathology Horizons 2018                                                                                    Lough Erne Resort, N. Ireland                                                                                        13-15th September

Development of genomic assays for multi-arm clinical trials in cancer

There are an increasing number of molecular assays being developed to guide patient treatments. There is , however, often a limited amount of material available for analysis. Almac Diagnostics have therefore developed DNA and mRNA next generation sequencing based panels that have been analytically validated to deliver multiple Biomarkers from small amounts of material. An associated comprehensive patient report has been developed to guide the best treatment in oncology trials and eventually in standard clinical practice.

During his presentation at Pathology Horizons 2018 Prof. Kennedy will discuss the challenges to implementing these kind of Biomarker panels in clinical care and how these are being overcome.

Prof. Richard Kennedy is the Medical Director and Global VP of Biomarker Development at Almac Diagnostics and the McClay Professor in Medical Oncology at the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen’s University of Belfast.

Why attend Pathology Horizons?

The conference is set to be another interesting and extremely informative event with a range of top international speakers demonstrating the power of new technologies, updates on procedural developments and valuable new lines of research – all in a relaxed and open atmosphere! Unlike other larger pathology events, Pathology Horizons is a boutique conference with one conference stream, which allows you to interact and network fully with the delegates and speakers. The conference is also CPD certified and has been awarded with 9 CPD credits by The Royal College of Pathologists.

Other topics from speakers include: 

  • Artificial intelligence and what it means for healthcare
  • Liquid biopsy and what it can do for detecting/treating ovarian cancer
  • Virtual and augmented reality in digital pathology
  • Radiology and pathology integration
  • Genome sequencing as a diagnostic aid

Don’t miss out, secure your place today!

Pathology Horizons 2018                                                                                    Lough Erne Resort, N. Ireland                                                                                        13-15th September

Pathology Horizons is coming to N.Ireland

September 2018 will see Cirdan host the next Pathology Horizons conference in Northern Ireland for the first time ever.  Previous event locations have included Cairns and Fraser Island, Australia and Galway, Ireland. Pathology Horizons 2018 will be the fourth conference run by Cirdan and is to be held in the superb, five star Lough Erne Resort in County Fermanagh from 13 – 15 September.

Overview

Pathology Horizons is an annual CPD conference focused on the future of pathology and looking at what lies ahead in this area. The conference will attract expert speakers and delegates from all over the world.

Why attend?

This unique event will give delegates the chance to learn about new technologies, procedural developments and lines of research that are driving the future of pathology. They will hear about the pros and cons of these developments, how people in supporting disciplines should be preparing for and perhaps directing these changes and their potential impact on the daily work of a Pathologist.

Unlike many other events, Pathology Horizons is a boutique conference that provides an opportunity for delegates to contribute their ideas and interact with innovators from around the world, while expanding their knowledge and making some new contacts.

Who should attend?

The Pathology Horizons 2018 conference is open to anyone who is interested in the area of pathology e.g. Pathologists, Laboratory Managers and Biomedical Scientist.

Pathology Horizons 2017 Overview

The overview video of Pathology Horizons 2017 in Cairns will provide some insight into the conference content and give you a good feel for the event.

Get notified when Pathology Horizons 2018 conference registration opens.

 

Unique Conference Focused on the Future of Pathology

With two successful Pathology Horizons conferences on opposite sides of the globe under his belt and the third one due to take place next month, Dr. Hugh Cormican, Cirdan CEO opens up about the rationale for staging such an event and what delegates can expect to gain from attending.

 

Why did Cirdan start Pathology Horizons?

Cirdan has been involved in the diagnostics industry and particularly pathology since the company started in 2010. We have attended a lot of conferences and it’s very clear to us that technology and the diagnostics sector is going through huge change now, probably more than there has ever been. We found that a lot of the conferences that we attended tended to be very focused and very specific. There didn’t seem to be a forum or event focused on the future of pathology that allowed people to stand back and look at the wider picture. We didn’t see anything that highlighted what the implications for the industry are and what the implications for people like ourselves, who are a key supplier to that industry in terms of informatics systems would be. We felt that there was a gap there and that is why we set up Pathology Horizons.

Who is Pathology Horizons aimed at?

It’s aimed at all the key stakeholders in the diagnostics market, for example pathologists, laboratory managers, medical scientists and people who are suppliers to that market, including informatics companies. To date the conference has drawn a broad a mix of all disciplines interested in pathology within the diagnostics market and we would like this to continue. It’s an inclusive event, where all stakeholders can come along and share their views. We are interested in hearing their opinions on how change in the sector is going to manifest, what we need to be thinking about for the future and what the impacts of this change are likely to be.

How has the Pathology Horizons conference been received in the world of pathology?

We have received a very positive reaction so far. The people who have attended Pathology Horizons conferences have been forthcoming with praise. We started the conference on a small base and are looking to grow this and every year attendance has grown. We make the talks available online on our website for people who for whatever reason have been unable to attend the conference. We’re delighted with the extent and breadth of people who have shown interest and want to come along. Now, we’re in the very fortunate position that instead of going hunting for people to give a talk, people are coming to us offering to give presentations. I think that’s a very positive sign for the conference and the direction it’s heading in.

How have you managed to secure such a high-calibre of speaker year after year?

We hound them until they say yes. No, seriously, we attend a lot of conferences throughout the world, some we exhibit at and some we go to for our own educational or learning purposes. Therefore, we get to hear a lot of speakers give talks and see what they’re doing. If we feel they can add value to the conference and have a novel or interesting topic to share, we add them to a potential speakers list and invite them. Thankfully we’ve had a great response so far and hope this continues.

What’s planned for Pathology Horizons 2017 in Cairns?

Pathology Horizons is back in Australia this year and digital pathology is a particular area of interest there. Therefore, the conference is probably more biased towards digital pathology than it has been in previous years. We are getting a lot of interest in the subject and it is an area previous conference delegates have wanted to hear more on. Digital pathology is something that I personally have had a view on for many years. I was always of the belief that it didn’t make practical or economic sense for pathology. I held this view right up until last year. I now think that digital pathology is worth the investment. Considerable investment is needed in infrastructure i.e. hardware and software to be able to implement digital pathology in a lot of labs and I felt that it wasn’t above the gain line in terms of the work that was required. It is definitely now above the gain line. There have been some seismic changes in that the FDA have now approved it for clinical and diagnosis purposes and one of the speakers will be talking specifically about that and the impact that this has had. As well as looking at other aspects of the industry there are clearly more talks aimed at digital pathology this year.

What can delegates expect to take away from the conference?

Hopefully some surprises, some new thoughts and ideas. The conference will make delegates consider things that they hadn’t previously been thinking about or preparing for and how these will impact upon their profession. They will then leave better placed to prepare for these changes and in a position of knowledge to find out more.

The conference will provide an opportunity to network not only with other delegates but with the speakers. We just have one conference stream, so everyone will have the opportunity to get involved, give feedback and ask questions. At Pathology Horizons, everyone is part of the discussion on the future of pathology.

View Agenda

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Dr. Pantanowitz to speak on computer aided diagnosis at Pathology Horizons

This August in Cairns Pathology Horizons delegates will have the privilege of hearing Dr. Liron Pantanowitz delivering a talk on the pros and cons of computer aided diagnosis in pathology.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming a reality in medicine. However, can these deep learning tools perform the complex tasks of pathologists, and in some instances with superior accuracy? Image analysis is one of the main reasons pathology labs are thinking about investing in digital pathology, especially since precision medicine currently demands precision diagnostics.

Enough evidence has been accrued showing that image analysis offers better accuracy, standardization, automation, and enables computational pathology. However, there are still several drawbacks and barriers preventing widespread adoption such as limited interoperability, workflow disruption, poor reimbursement, no guidelines, and regulatory obstacles.

During his presentation Dr. Pantanowitz will discuss the benefits and problems related to computer aided diagnosis in pathology and will highlight what is required to deliver those awaited killer apps.

Dr. Liron Pantanowitz is currently a Professor of Pathology and of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Pittsburgh in the USA.

He is the Director of the Pathology Informatics Division and Director of the Pathology Informatics Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). In additon, he is the Director of the Cytopathology Division at UPMC Shadyside.

More on Dr. Liron Pantanowitz

View Agenda

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Dr. Kaplan to discuss Digital Pathology: The Past, Present and Future at Pathology Horizons

We are thrilled to have Dr. Keith Kaplan, publisher of tissuepathology.com, the industry’s leading digital pathology blog speak at this year’s Pathology Horizons conference in Cairns, Australia from 10th -12th August.

During his presentation Dr. Kaplan will reflect on 15 years of digital pathology, what has worked, what hasn’t and what’s coming. He will focus briefly on historical experience and initial use cases, how changes that are happening to pathology impact business operations, making a business case for digital pathology and why the time is now to adopt digital pathology. Mention of the importance/impact of cloud computing, hand-held computing and social media that coincided with maturation of this technology will also be discussed. The need for image analysis with clinically approved protocols for improved consistency and reproducibility particularly in an era when the use of companion diagnostics will be addressed. More recently, significant changes in healthcare delivery systems and reimbursements for technical and professional services for laboratories and pathologists have started to change the landscape that make digital pathology more attractive than in the past 15 years.

Dr. Kaplan is a native of Chicago and a graduate of Michigan State University and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He completed residency training in anatomic and clinical pathology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC.

More on Dr. Keith Kaplan

View Pathology Horizons Agenda

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