Cancer datasets and tissue pathways

The College's Datasets for Histopathological Reporting on Cancers have been written to help pathologists work towards a consistent approach for the reporting of the more common cancers and to define the range of acceptable practice in handling pathology specimens.

TNM 8 was implemented in many specialties from 1 January 2018. A full list of staging systems to be used (by specialty) is available in the Recommendations from the Working Group on Cancer Services on the use of tumour staging systems and Recommended staging to be collected by Cancer Registries (see right hand column).

Please note that head and neck tumours diagnosed after 1 January 2018 should continue to be reported using TNM 7.

Breast

Reporting of breast disease in surgical excision specimens

Guidelines for non-operative diagnostic procedures and reporting in breast cancer screening

Bone and Soft Tissue

Primary bone tumours

Soft tissue sarcomas

Tissue pathways for bone and soft tissue pathology

Cancer of unknown primary and malignancy of unknown primary origin

July 2018

Cardiovascular system

Cardiovascular Pathology

Central nervous system

Central nervous system, including the pituitary gland

Tissue pathways for non-neoplastic neuropathology specimens

Cytopathology

Tissue pathways for diagnostic cytopathology

Endocrine system

Adult adrenal gland

Parathyroid

Thyroid

Tissue pathways for endocrine pathology

Eye

Ocular retinoblastoma

Conjunctival melanoma

Uveal melanoma

Tissue pathways for Non-neoplastic ophthalmic pathology specimens

Gastrointestinal tract

Anal

Colorectum

Gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumours

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours

Liver

Oesophagus

Pancreas, ampulla of Vater and common bile duct

Stomach

Tissue pathways for liver biopsies for the investigation of medical disease and for focal lesions

Tissue pathways for gastrointestinal and pancreatobiliary pathology

Gynaecological tract

Cervix

Endometrium

Ovary

Uterine Sarcoma

Vulva

Tissue pathways for gynaecological pathology

Tissue pathway for histopathological examination of the placenta

Head and neck

Oral cavity

Pharynx

Nodal excisions & neck dissection

Larynx

Nasal cavities & paranasal sinuses

Salivary gland

Tissue pathways for head and neck pathology

Lung and Thorax

Lung cancer

Mesothelioma

Thymic epithelial tumours

Tissue pathway for non-neoplastic thoracic pathology

Lymph node and bone marrow

Lymphoma

Tissue pathways for lymph node, spleen and bone marrow trephine biopsy specimens

Paediatric

Renal tumours in childhood

Peripheral neuroblastic tumours

Skin

Adnexal carcinomas and lymph nodes

Basal cell carcinoma

Malignant melanoma

Merkel cell carcinoma

Invasive squamous cell carcinoma

Tissue pathway for dermatopathology

Urinary tract and testis

Penis

Prostate

Renal

Testis

Urinary collecting system

Tissue pathway for medical renal biopsies

Tissue pathways for urological pathology