PICCSI employs self-collected human papillomavirus (HPV) testing for Fijian women, to rapidly detect the virus that causes the majority of cervical cancers via point-of-care PCR testing.
Test results are returned within 45 minutes, showing whether a patient is HPV positive for a high-risk type of HPV. For those who test positive and require treatment, this can be provided on the same day.

The treatment removes pre-cancerous cells and is administered by the skilled Australian volunteer team, spearheaded by Melbourne-based obstetrician gynaecologist Dr Nicola Fitzgerald.

Dr Fitzgerald’s volunteer team is comprised of gynecologists, midwives, gynecology nurses, gynecologist trainees, and a GP, along with non-clinical administration staff.

Dr Fitzgerald commented on the importance of pre-cancerous cell detection and removal for Fijian women,

“In countries like Australia, cervical cancer diagnoses are more accessible, and treatments like chemotherapy and radiation are available. However, in the Pacific region, options for radiation as a treatment option are limited, unless individuals can afford to travel abroad to receive treatment.

This means that many women in the Pacific do not receive adequate treatment following a cervical cancer diagnosis.

This was the primary driver behind the development of PICCSI. It allows us to detect and treat women in the pre-cancerous stage, before they develop cervical cancer and the need for radiation or chemotherapy is required. In this way, the project has transformed access to cervical health services for Fijian women.”

This year’s PICCSI program took place in five different rural centres across Fiji from 7th-11th August, with a total of 302 Fijian women being screened for cervical cancer. The testing resulted in a positive HPV rate of 17%, and 25% of those women received pre-cancerous cell removal treatment.

Partnering with the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer (ACPCC), who provide one of the testing machines for the program, and local partners Fiji National University and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Lautoka Hospital, PICCSI addresses critical gaps in cervical cancer prevention and treatment in the Pacific region.

Local women aged 30-50 years were invited to be screened, with three PCR testing machines provided to the program by ACPCC and the Fiji Ministry of Health, allowing 12 cervical samples to be tested per hour.

In addition to providing PCR technology, ACPCC provides ongoing pathology services, training, technical support, and result interpretation to the program on a volunteer basis.

PICCSI aims to address several key challenges faced by Fijian women in accessing the healthcare they need, such as travel and financial considerations, healthcare workforce capacity, and infrastructure.

John Crothers, Executive Officer of Pathology Awareness Australia commented, “Collaborating with our Pacific neighbours to combat cervical cancer is a commendable initiative. Cervical cancer remains a significant health challenge, particularly in regions with limited resources and access to advanced healthcare.

By joining forces, sharing expertise, and implementing preventative measures such as HPV vaccination and early screening programs, we can make a substantial impact on reducing the burden of this preventable disease in countries such as Fiji. It’s an opportunity to not only save lives, but also to strengthen the bonds of solidarity and support within our broader healthcare community.”

Prior to this screen, test and treat program, there could be delays of up to 8 weeks in obtaining test results. Combined with transportation and family challenges, this has contributed to high rates of patients who received abnormal results remaining untreated.

Dr. Fitzgerald emphasised, “There is an urgent need to improve cervical cancer screening and treatment accessibility for Fijian women. At PICCSI, we are laying the foundation for a broader Pacific-wide screening program. Our objectives extend beyond immediate care, as we aim to boost awareness of cervical cancer screening, involve local practitioners, and gather data to advocate for a nationwide screening program in Fiji.”

PICCSI’s impact has been profound since its inception in 2018, delivering prompt testing, diagnosis, and treatment. In each five-day mission, 300-400 women are screened, with an average of 10-15% requiring treatment each time. By offering immediate results, follow-up rates have significantly improved compared to delayed result models.

Dr. Fitzgerald concluded, “PICCSI showcases the collaborative spirit of healthcare professionals across borders. By providing accessible, immediate, and sustained care, we are contributing to the larger goal of cervical cancer prevention in the Pacific.”

The post Fiji fights cervical cancer with the help of Australian pathology volunteers first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

A career in pathology involves working in clinical settings as a medical professional. Examples of pathology sector professions are working as a pathologist, a pathology assistant, a medical scientist, a laboratory technician and as a pathology collector.

Pathology workplaces vary depending on what role in the pathology sector you choose to work in. From hospitals to community medical clinics, research institutes, government locations and private industries, choosing pathology as a profession offers a lot of variety.

Working in pathology also requires skills such as being precise and reliable, as patient livelihoods are reliant on pathology test results. Furthermore, working with samples such as blood, urine, bodily tissues and fluids, means that a strong stomach is preferable!

Finding a job in pathology currently requires further post-graduate study at either a university or TAFE institute, with time commitments varying based on the chosen course. There are a number of pathologist courses available, with twenty-six institutions in Australia offering courses in the sector.

How to become a pathologist in Australia

There are several steps to becoming a pathologist which involve enrolment in a university course. In Australia, you must be qualified as a medical doctor prior to becoming a pathologist. The career pathway consists of the following five steps which need to be taken in this order:

• Pre-medical bachelor’s degree (~3 years)
• Studying either a Doctor of Osteopathy degree or a Medical Doctor degree (~4 years)
• Internship (~1 year)
• Residency (~1–3 years)
• Specialty training with an accredited pathologist (~5 years)

After successfully completing speciality training with an accredited pathologist, you can begin practising in the field as a pathologist.

According to The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) in a 2018 study, 1,924 people made up the Australian pathology workforce, with a growth rate of 4.5% per annum.

How to become a pathology assistant in Australia

To become a pathology assistant in Australia, a course related to pathology or a specific certificate such as a Certificate III in Pathology Assistance needs to be completed.

There are many certificates and diplomas for different roles within pathology, which differ between universities and states in Australia. To find appropriate courses appropriate for what you want to pursue in pathology, contact your local education institutes for more information.

The role of a pathology assistants involves conducting daily tests on samples in a pathology laboratory or other medical settings. Preparing samples, performing tests, and writing reports make up the day-to-day workload of a pathology assistant, and no one day is the same. It is an interesting job in an ever-evolving work environment.

Resources:

TAFE NSW: https://www.tafensw.edu.au/article/-/blogs/how-to-get-a-job-in-pathology

PostgradAustralia: https://postgradaustralia.com.au/graduate-certificate-or-diploma-of-pathology

Holmesglen: https://holmesglen.edu.au/Courses/Community-and-Health-Sciences/Pathology-and-Laboratory-Testing/Certificate-III-in-Pathology-Collection/

RCPA, The 2018 Pathology Workforce Study: https://www.rcpa.edu.au/getattachment/4a38b4f9-5f6a-45eb-8947-dfa072797685/APW.aspx

The post How to Work in Pathology in Australia first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

The post International Women’s Day – why women in pathology love their jobs first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

Only 50 years ago, studies on children showed that when asked to draw a scientist, more than 99% of the boys and girls involved drew a male scientist. Thankfully, in recent years when this study has been repeated, the gender balance proved less biased, with more than 50% of girls drawing female scientists, but with 90% of boys drawing male scientists, it is clear we still have far to go in #BreakingTheBias, particularly in the world of science.

To support this year’s IWD theme #BreakTheBias, we are shining a light on three incredibly talented women in pathology; Prof Jane Dahlstrom, Dr Lucinda Wallman and Dr Caitlin Keighley.

That’s what she said; quotes from our pathology ambassadors:

The post International Women’s Day 2022 | Women of Pathology first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

Every day, Australia’s pathology teams work tirelessly to keep us safe from disease. This year in particular, pathology teams have lead the fight against COVID-19.

For the past few weeks, we have asked you to tell us who has been an outstanding member of your pathology team this year.

So here they are, your Legends of the Lab.

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The post International Pathology Day – Meet Your Legends of the Lab first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

It’s International Pathology Day this coming Wednesday 10th November and we want to know who has been an outstanding member of your pathology team this year.

The pandemic has been tough on everyone but pathology teams have been stepping up in incredible ways since the very start, and rarely get the deserved recognition.

We would like to give shouts out to those special pathology people, both inside and outside the lab, who have gone above and beyond this year, so we need to hear from you.

Whether it’s a colleague who has kept you motivated, a caring leader or a new team member who was thrown in at the deep end and did a great job, we’re all ears.

If you would like to nominate someone for a ‘Legends of the Lab’ shout out please click the button below to email us with a few words on who you would like to nominate and why, along with a photo of them.

A member of our team will then get in touch.

Good on you legends!

Nominate a legend – email us!

The post Nominate your Legends of the Lab – International Pathology Day 2021 first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

Dr Clift is urging men to get up to date with their Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood tests, and now is a great time to catch up as September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

In Australia, nine men die each day from prostate cancer, and data from the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia’s (PCFA) STARGATE project shows Dr Clift’s local area of Geelong in Victoria has a prostate cancer mortality rate of 28 per 100,000 men, compared to a national average of 25.

On Dr Clift’s 65th birthday, his GP referred him for a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test and his results came back with a higher-than-normal level.

Dr Clift said, “As a pathologist, I am familiar with prostate cancer having diagnosed many cases throughout my career. I was aware I should have had my first PSA test at 50, but like many men I was feeling well, I had no family history of prostate cancer and so it was easy to put it off. I’m very grateful to my GP, who is also a close friend, who told me ‘I’m giving you a PSA test for your birthday’ and what a present that turned out to be!’

The PSA test measures an antigen in the blood which can be an indicator of prostate cancer, although levels can be elevated due to other reasons.

Dr Clift was instructed to have a repeat test three months later and his levels were still high. He was then referred to a urologist for further investigation. An MRI scan showed a mass in his prostate and a biopsy confirmed the tumour was prostate cancer.

“It was a bit of a shock getting a cancer diagnosis. Suddenly I was mortal. I felt well, I had no symptoms, no changes in my urination, it was a completely silent disease process.’’

“Fortunately, that’s the best time to catch it, when you’re not aware the disease is there, and it hasn’t progressed. PSA testing gives men options. I was lucky that the cancer was picked up at a stage when it was likely that surgery would be successful,” Dr Clift said.

Dr Clift had robotic surgery to remove his prostate and recovered well. Eighteen months after his diagnosis, he is feeling good and is back to his hobby of sailing, trying to keep up with his 14-year-old grandson.

Dr Gregory Neerhut, David’s urologist, said: “Some men may be reluctant to get the PSA test, but there is a real benefit in early detection, and for the patient it’s a simple blood test.’’

“With advances in diagnostic techniques, we now have the best tools to know which men need to be referred for biopsy and who can be monitored. Some patients with low-risk prostate cancers can be safely watched, while patients with more significant disease can undergo potentially lifesaving surgery. Where surgery is needed, robotic surgery is now quite widely available and outcomes for patients have improved.”

The data from PCFA’s STARGATE portal is available for anyone to find out prostate cancer data for their local area, using a postcode search.

PCFA CEO, Prof Jeff Dunn AO, said men need to know their risks and get checked:

“Simply knowing your risks and talking to your GP, or calling PCFA for more information, can help save the lives of many men each year.’’

“PCFA’s STARGATE dataset gives men a greater understanding of how men in their area are impacted, and is a vital awareness tool for the community and health professionals.”

Anyone can find out prostate cancer data for any region of Australia at stargate.org.au.

Men and their loved ones who would like information and support with prostate cancer can call PCFA on 1800 22 00 99 to speak with a trained specialist, nurse or visit pcfa.org.au.

Image credit: Geelong Advertiser

The post When the pathologist becomes the patient; Dr David Clift’s prostate cancer story first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

What may have seemed far into the future before the pandemic is possible now and is the theme of the AIMS National Scientific Meeting. Entitled Re-Vision for the Future it will examine how the pathology profession can harness these new opportunities.

This is the preeminent meeting of medical scientists to discuss the latest scientific developments. Convened online from 30^th August – 1^st September, the conference will feature presentations from across all pathology disciplines as well as attention to rapidly developing areas. Molecular pathology will be a central pillar of content for the conference, with more and more pathology disciplines exploring new ways of testing that have become possible from improved access to molecular technology.

AIMS CEO Michael Nolan says it is an area of increasing interest in the laboratory hence the attention in the scientific program:

“These days, the commonality of all the disciplines is molecular genetics. Many diseases that are diagnosed by pathology are now detected by molecular genetic testing. A number of stars are in alignment with new technologies coming on board to hasten the speed of diagnostic testing. There is the opportunity to do more with this technology now that most labs will have access to it.”

“You can diagnose more accurately what the genetic variants of the disease are, and from that can choose the therapies that may be more appropriate. Now we can target a cancer using monoclonal antibodies and other therapies which have been developed specifically for that tumour,” says Nolan.

The opportunity from companion diagnostics is an important theme in the conference. The ability to deliver personalised therapies for patients to deliver better outcomes will be explored by plenary speaker Professor Vanessa Hayes from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research who will examine how pathology diagnosis is enabled by genomic testing in her presentation ‘The roadmap to our future is written in the path already travelled’.

Originally scheduled as an in-person event in 2020 but postponed due to lockdown restrictions, the delay has offered the chance for the organisers to attract a wide and impressive array of speakers.

“We’ve managed to attract more speakers than we would have if it was fully face-to-face and, as you can see from the program, many of the presenters are from the major research institutions, hospitals and pathology laboratories across Australia.” says Nolan, “I’m looking forward to it”.

The virtual meeting will include recordings of all the sessions with registered delegates able to watch on demand for up to 90 days after the conference. More information can be found on the AIMS website.

The post Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists (AIMS) National Scientific Meeting: Re-Vision for the Future first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

Eighteen months ago this might have been thought impossible but pathology services went from facing a totally new virus with no established test to running tens of thousands of COVID-19 tests a day, within a matter of months.

At the time of writing, Australian pathology teams have performed over 23,000,000 COVID-19 tests, diagnosing more than 31,000 cases of COVID-19.

Over 170,000 tests were recorded in just one day during July 2021.

Pathology labs are doing this on top of all those other everyday tests, which are also vital in diagnosing illness and maintaining health for the 12 million Australians who have a pathology test each year.

This effort is herculean and as the virus runs rampant still in many countries, pathology teams will need to keep stepping up every day to protect our community.

Dr Michael Dray is President of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, who express their pride and gratitude towards those working in the profession;

“The entire healthcare system has been able to wisely use the knowledge gained from COVID-19 testing to locate the virus and help protect the community.  We extend our gratitude to our hard-working pathologists, scientists, couriers, laboratory staff and everybody supporting this crucial work. We are proud that Australia and New Zealand boast some of the best laboratory testing systems in the world and it continues to help us combat this virus.

However, the COVID-19 fight is far from over. We encourage everyone in the community to play their part. Please get vaccinated as soon as you are able and present for testing when required, even if your symptoms are mild.”

Chair of Pathology Technology Australia, David Basseal, also noted the contribution of those who develop the technology that enables this volume and speed of testing; “The frontline healthcare workers and pathology practices have been doing an outstanding job keeping us safe. This tremendous work has been supported by the pathology technology suppliers, both local and global, who responded to the challenge by marshalling their innovation and know-how to rapidly develop, manufacture and supply the technologies, in the large volumes required, that have enabled the national COVID response.”

Sadly, in Australia over 900 people have lost their lives due to COVID-19, but we will never know how many more lives could have been claimed in the first year of the pandemic had it not been for the swift public health response – which could only be enabled by an outstanding pathology workforce.

The President of the Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists (AIMS), Prof Denise Jackson commented;

“AIMS acknowledges the hard work and dedication of all those involved in the national COVID-19 response, especially the pathology campaign. Every one of the millions of COVID-19 tests carried out in Australia since the start of the pandemic has been performed by a medical scientist or technician. While they work behind the scenes, they play a vital role in pathology services. Their efforts in the pandemic, and in maintaining other pathology services, have been outstanding. The Australian community owe a special thanks to these unsung heroes of the pandemic.”

The post Stepping up and saving lives during COVID-19; thank you pathology first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

After a year of the COVID-19 pandemic taking centre stage, a look at the Pathology Update program for 2021 serves as a welcome reminder of all the non-COVID achievements, discoveries and discourse going on in the world of pathology that can impact patients’ lives for the better.

A prime example is Mackenzie’s Mission which was greatly celebrated when funding was announced back in 2018, and Professor Edwin Kirk will be at the conference to update participants on the latest developments.

Another presentation title that catches the eye when scanning this year’s program is Dr Jeremy Parry’s Will the bot take the lot? Looking rationally at the promises and threats of Artificial Intelligence in pathology. With digitisation, automation and AI becoming increasingly utilised throughout many aspects of modern life, including in healthcare, this will be a subject that is on the minds of many in the pathology world.

Looking further into genetic pathology, Associate Professor Mark Cowle will deliver a presentation with the intriguing title; Genomic dark matter: what secrets do the noncoding regions hold? With increasing utilisation of genetic and genomic testing in so many areas of healthcare, this promises to be a fascinating addition to the program.

Delegates have the added option this year of joining the conference virtually, but if you do plan to attend remotely then now is the time to secure your place as virtual delegates must be registered by 10th June.

All the information about registration, as well as the full program is available here.

The post It’s time to reunite! Lock in your place at Pathology Update 2021 first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.