2.2 Clinical Use Cases

These clinical use cases highlight how cancer synoptic reporting contributes to accurate diagnosis, appropriate staging, tailored treatment planning, and ongoing patient management across various types of cancer. Keep in mind that this list isn't complete, but it offers common examples.

• Breast Cancer Lumpectomy: A patient with early-stage breast cancer undergoes a lumpectomy.
  • The synoptic report documents details such as tumor size, margins, lymph node involvement, and any additional findings. This information helps oncologists determine if further treatments like radiation therapy or chemotherapy are necessary.
    
    
• Colon Cancer Resection: A patient undergoes surgery to remove a tumor in the colon.
  • The synoptic report records the extent of the resection, involvement of adjacent structures, lymph node status, and whether the tumor breached the serosa. This aids in staging the cancer and planning subsequent treatments.
    
    
• Prostate Cancer Biopsy: A patient undergoes a prostate biopsy due to elevated PSA levels.
  • The synoptic report captures the number of biopsy cores taken, the Gleason score (a measure of cancer aggressiveness), and the percentage of cancer involvement in each core. This information guides treatment decisions.
    
    
• Lung Cancer Staging: A patient is diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer.
  • The synoptic report documents tumor size, lymph node involvement, and any distant metastases. This information helps stage the cancer using the TNM (Tumor, Node, Metastasis) system, informing treatment options.
    
    
• Ovarian Cancer Debulking Surgery: A patient with ovarian cancer undergoes surgery to remove as much tumor tissue as possible.
  • The synoptic report records the extent of debulking achieved, the presence of residual disease, and the involvement of nearby organs. This information guides decisions regarding subsequent chemotherapy.
    
    
• Melanoma Excision: A patient has a suspicious melanoma lesion removed.
  • The synoptic report details the Breslow thickness (a measure of tumor depth), Clark level (depth of invasion), ulceration status, and mitotic rate. These factors contribute to determining prognosis and treatment strategies.
    
    
• Gastric Cancer Surgery: A patient undergoes surgery for gastric cancer.
  • The synoptic report documents tumor location, depth of invasion, involvement of adjacent structures, and lymph node metastases. This information guides treatment decisions, including surgery and chemotherapy.
    
    
• Hematologic Malignancy Bone Marrow Biopsy: A patient is evaluated for hematologic malignancy.
  • The synoptic report includes details about bone marrow cellularity, percentage of blasts, presence of chromosomal abnormalities, and any immunophenotypic findings. This aids in diagnosing and classifying the malignancy.
    
    
• Cervical Cancer Screening: A patient undergoes a Pap smear for cervical cancer screening.
  • The synoptic report records the cytological findings, the presence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), and any abnormal cellular changes. This information guides follow-up and management.
    
    
• Neuro-oncology Tumor Resection: A patient with a brain tumor undergoes surgery for tumor resection.
  • The synoptic report documents tumor type, location, extent of resection, and involvement of critical structures. This information informs treatment decisions and post-operative care.