Colon and Rectal Cancers: Pathologic Staging and Assessment
CME Monograph - August 2009
Physicians who assess and treat patients with colon and rectal cancers need to be aware of newly issued guidelines and recommendations for staging, assessment, and reporting to optimize patient treatment decisions, particularly in stage II disease.
The program was directed by Carolyn C. Compton, MD, PhD, Adjunct Professor of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Educational Objectives
- Discuss key updates in colorectal cancer staging and assessment based on the 2009 7th Edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and the International Union Against Cancer (UICC).
- Describe pathologic challenges affecting accuracy of assessment in stage II (lymph node negative) colorectal cancer.
- Describe principal issues that physicians should be aware of in reviewing a pathology report for colorectal cancer.
- Assess whether your institution’s practice of lymph node assessment for staging colon and rectal cancers is consistent with current recommended practice and if not, what you believe needs to be done to improve practice.
- Assess whether your institution’s practice of developing and/or using pathology reports is consistent with new AJCC recommendations and if not, what you believe needs to be done to improve practice.
- Integrate new criteria into practice.
Educational Grant Support
The program was supported by an educational grant provided by sanofi-aventis, US.
Sponsorship
CME sponsorship and program management were provided by InforMEDical.
The CME activity has expired.
Links to Additional Information
