2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) - Posters-P2.14A.02 Assessment of Immunohistochemical Panel Utilization in Thymic Carcinoma Diagnosis: Real World Experience Insights

P2.14A.02 Assessment of Immunohistochemical Panel Utilization in Thymic Carcinoma Diagnosis: Real World Experience Insights

Back to course

Pdf Summary

This study evaluates the utilization of immunohistochemical (IHC) panels in diagnosing Thymic Squamous Cell Carcinoma (TSCC) in real-world settings, despite recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO) for specific testing. TSCC, the most common type of thymic carcinoma, often poses diagnostic challenges, particularly in distinguishing it from Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers (NSCLCs). Accurate diagnosis is crucial, as it influences treatment decisions like chemotherapy. The WHO recommends using an IHC panel with markers such as CD5, KIT (CD117), FOXN1, and CD205 to improve diagnostic accuracy.<br /><br />Conducted through a multi-center retrospective study, this research assessed IHC usage across the MedStar Network hospitals. It sourced data from the MedStar Georgetown Cancer Center Network registry, covering thymic tumor cases from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2023, and utilized ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes to identify TSCC cases specifically. The study highlighted that although WHO advises testing all thymic carcinomas with specific IHC profiles, only a limited number of tumors were actually tested for these panels: 21 out of 29 tested positive for p-63, 13 out of 18 for CD-117, 14 out of 20 for CD-5, and 6 out of 16 for p-40. Notably, FOXN1 and CD205 were not tested for any cases.<br /><br />The study underscores the potential for misdiagnosis or missed diagnoses without routine IHC testing, emphasizing the importance of accurate TSCC identification due to its implications on treatment regimens. Future research will aim to correlate treatment outcomes with the presence of IHC markers and explore molecular profiling for prognosis predictions in TSCC patients. This research reveals critical insights into the current application of IHC diagnostics, advocating for improved adherence to WHO guidelines to ensure accurate cancer differentiation and treatment.

Asset Subtitle

NILANSH KATARIA

Meta Tag

Speaker NILANSH KATARIA

Topic Mesothelioma, Thymoma & Other Thoracic Tumors

Keywords

Thymic Squamous Cell Carcinoma

immunohistochemical panels

diagnostic challenges

World Health Organization

MedStar Network hospitals

ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes

treatment decisions

molecular profiling

cancer differentiation

retrospective study