Small and mighty: The power of FNA and core biopsy for tumor diagnosis and biomarker testing

February 29^th, 2024 | 15:00 EST

In recent years, small volume biopsies have been increasingly utilized for diagnosis of tumors in both primary and recurrent settings.  Concomitantly, the numbers of ancillary studies for characterizing tumors and biomarker tests to support appropriate therapy selection are also on the rise.  A combination of both cytologic and small histologic samples is often obtained in tandem at time of biopsy.  Pathologists are responsible for ensuring judicious selection of specimens appropriate for particular tests in a wide array of tumor types.  This session will review optimal small biopsy utilization for diagnosis and ancillary testing in several organ systems.

Learning Objectives

• Review characteristics of fine needle aspiration and core biopsy samples.
• Understand the advantages and limitations of small samples for diagnosis.
• Understand appropriate sample selection for ancillary testing for diagnostic purposes.
• Understand appropriate sample selection for biomarker assessment.