Authors : Kirti Jignesh Rathod*, Munira F Jhabuawala, Monica S Gupta
DOI : 10.18231/j.ijpo.2025.008
Volume : 12
Issue : 1
Year : 2025
Page No : 40-45
Background: The College of American Pathologists (CAP) guidelines provide the latest evidence-based practices to maintain quality and proficiency among the entire pathology team. Audits are a quality improvement process that measures current patient care and outcomes against established standards, involving repeated cycles of planning, implementation, assessment, and action. Our aim was to compare prostatic biopsy reporting against the CAP dataset protocol. Methods: An audit of prostate core biopsy reporting was conducted, including an initial audit of 22 cases and a re-audit of 10 new cases, assessed against CAP guidelines. Results: The number and length of cores, specimen location, and histologic type were documented in all 22 cases (100%). Histologic grade and overall grade were reported in 18 cases (81.81%). Tumor microfocus and intraductal carcinoma were not assessed in any of the 22 cases (0%). The percentage of patterns 4 and 5 was applicable in 12 cases but was not reported in any (0%). The cribriform gland pattern was assessed and reported in 7 cases (38.88%). Tumor quantification was mentioned in 20 cases (90.90%). The length of prostatic tissue involved by the tumor was reported in 8 cases (36.36%). Periprostatic fat invasion was noted in 1 case. Seminal vesicle invasion and ejaculatory duct invasion were absent in all cases. Lymphovascular invasion was reported in 5 cases (22.72%). Perineural invasion was documented in 17 cases (77.27%). Ten prostate core biopsy specimens were reviewed. Macroscopic details were provided in all cases (100%). Essential microscopic information was available in 9 cases (90%). In one case (10%), intraductal carcinoma components and the cribriform pattern were not assessed. Conclusion: Audit and PDCA cycle significantly improve reporting according to CAP dataset. Key word: College of American pathologists, Quality, Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle