Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2018 Dec;142(12):1537-1548. doi: 10.5858/arpa.2017-0481-OA. Epub 2018 Apr 30.

Interpathologist Diagnostic Agreement for Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinomas Using Current and Recent Classifications.

Funkhouser WK Jr1, Hayes DN1, Moore DT1, Funkhouser WK 3rd1, Fine JP1, Jo H1, Nikolaishvilli-Feinberg N1, Eeva M1, Grilley-Olson JE1, Banks PM1, Graziano P1, Boswell EL1, Elmberger G1, Raparia K1, Hart CF1, Sholl LM1, Nolan NJ1, Fritchie KJ1, Pouagare E1, Allen TC1, Volmar KE1, Biddinger PW1, Kleven DT1, Papez MJ1, Spencer DV1, Rekhtman N1, Mino-Kenudson M1, Hariri L1, Driver B1, Cagle PT1.

Author information

1

From the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill (Drs Funkhouser Jr and Banks); Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Drs Funkhouser Jr, Hayes, Nikolaishvilli-Feinberg, and Grilley-Olson; Messrs Moore and Jo; and Ms Eeva); the Department of Medicine, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Drs Hayes and Grilley-Olson); the Department of Computer Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison (Mr Funkhouser III); the Department of Biostatistics, UNC School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Dr Fine); Medical Affairs, Ventana Medical Systems, Tucson, Arizona (Dr Banks); Unit of Pathology, Scientific Institute for Research and Health Care, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy (Dr Graziano); the Department of Pathology, VA Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (Dr Boswell); the Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden (Dr Elmberger); the Department of Pathology, Kaiser-Permanente Hospital, Santa Clara, California (Dr Raparia); the Department of Pathology, Piedmont Medical Center, Rock Hill, South Carolina (Dr Hart); the Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Sholl); the Department of Pathology, Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, Maryland (Dr Nolan); the Department of Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (Dr Fritchie); the Department of Pathology, VA Medical Center, Dayton, Ohio (Dr Pouagare); the Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston (Dr Allen); the Department of Pathology, Rex Hospital, Raleigh, North Carolina (Dr Volmar); the Department of Pathology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta (Drs Biddinger and Kleven); the Department of Pathology, Flagstaff Medical Center, Flagstaff, Arizona (Dr Papez); the Department of Pathology, VA Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina (Dr Spencer); the Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (Dr Rekhtman); the Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (Drs Mino-Kenudson and Hariri); and the Department of Pathology & Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas (Drs Driver and Cagle). Dr Allen is currently located at the Department of Pathology at University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson.

Abstract

CONTEXT.—:

Measurement of interpathologist diagnostic agreement (IPDA) should allow pathologists to improve current diagnostic criteria and disease classifications.

OBJECTIVES.—:

To determine how IPDA for pathologists' diagnoses of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is affected by the addition of a set of mucin and immunohistochemical (IHC) stains to hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) alone, by recent NSCLC reclassifications, by simplification of these classifications, and by pathologists' practice location, pulmonary pathology expertise, practice duration, and lung carcinoma case exposure.

DESIGN.—:

We used a Web-based survey to present core images of 54 NSCLC cases to 22 practicing pathologists for diagnosis, initially as H&E only, then as H&E plus mucin and 4 IHC stains. Each case was diagnosed according to published 2004, 2011, and 2015 NSCLC classifications. Cohen's kappa was calculated for the 231 pathologist pairs as a measure of IPDA.

RESULTS.—:

Twenty-two pathologists diagnosed 54 NSCLC cases by using 4 published classifications. IPDA is significantly higher for H&E/mucin/IHC diagnoses than for H&E-only diagnoses. IPDA for H&E/mucin/IHC diagnoses is highest with the 2015 classification. IPDA is estimated higher after collapse of stated diagnoses into subhead or dichotomized classes. IPDA for H&E/mucin/IHC diagnoses with the 2015 World Health Organization classification is similar for community and academic pathologists, and is higher when pathologists have pulmonary pathology expertise, have more than 6 years of practice experience, or diagnose more than 100 new lung carcinoma cases per year.

CONCLUSIONS.—:

Higher IPDA is associated with use of mucin and IHC stains, with the 2015 NSCLC classification, and with pathologists' pulmonary pathology expertise, practice duration, and frequency of lung carcinoma cases.