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t m c » p u l s e | o c t o b e r 2 0 1 8 37 have prepared an algorithm to quan- titate the active stroma, so we can readily integrate it into a treatment, but it needs to be validated first," Ittmann said. Advantages of digital pathology Pathologists recognize patterns and then predict the behavior of dis- eases. Modern pathology dates back to the 19th century, when medical professionals began to routinely examine specimens on glass slides with microscopes to help make diag- noses, Ittmann said. Digital technology offers an advantage over slides, which can break, get lost and deliver images that are difficult to share with col- leagues for second opinions, he said. Ayala anticipates imaging will advance the current standard of assigning grades and stages to cancer tumors, which was developed six decades ago. "We have started to embrace technology—not to replace patholo- gists, but to make them better," said Ayala, also a distinguished chair in pathology and laboratory medicine at McGovern Medical School. Pathologists are good at diag- nosing, he explained, but when it comes to counting and predicting certain behaviors, there are some things the human mind doesn't do as well as a computer. "Computers can help us count," Ayala added. "They can also take a picture of tissue at every nanometer of the spectrum." Though the Philips device is advancing pathology, there are kinks in the system that still need to be worked out, said Liron Pantanowitz, M.D., professor of pathology and biomedical informat- ics and vice chairman for pathology informatics at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Challenges include workflow issues. For example, not everything can be scanned, which requires some pathologists to employ a hybrid of digital images and tradi- tional slides. In addition, the FDA's current approval is for one kind of scan and there is currently just one imaging software, said Pantanowitz, who publishes and lectures fre- quently about digital pathology. "We've made a lot of progress," he said. "The FDA is already primed to expect future studies, and it is loosening up on that. There will also probably be more products available in the future that will be less costly and faster to use. It's new territory that we are embracing, but it is going to take time." Teaching the computer Meanwhile, pathologists are adding other new methods to their research repertoire by teaching computers to learn different patterns of disease. That will allow pathologists who want to examine malignant cancer cells in an organ to program the computer to recognize the cancer with a certain degree of clarity and dependability. This enables medical profes- sionals to examine the cancer and see the receptors in every nucleus in the stroma, Ayala said. With that richness of data, there is better information. And the better the information, the better the diagnosis. In the future, digital pathology could be used for other tests beyond cancer, such as Pap smears, Ayala added. "Pathology is not going to be replaced by the computer, but it is a powerful adjunct," Ittmann said. "We are not sure we can teach a computer to see everything, as there are hundreds of alterations in tissue, but in 10 to 20 years, we are going to see this breakthrough." As pathology moves through the digital age, imaging will become the norm, experts predict. Ittmann said an early victory arrived as a byproduct of The Cancer Genome Atlas, a decade- long, $300 million project funded by the National Institutes of Health that collected tissue samples from more than 11,000 patients and completed a genomic analysis of 33 cancers this year. The project also produced an unprecedented digital pathology slide archive. Offer valued at $39. Valid for new patients only. See clinic for chiropractor(s)' name and license info. Clinics managed and/or owned by franchisee or Prof. Corps. Restrictions may apply to Medicare eligible patients. Individual results may vary. © 2018 The Joint Corp. All Rights Reserved. The Joint Chiropractic ® is a registered trademark of The Joint Corp. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. thejoint.com NO INSURANCE NEEDED OPEN EVENINGS & WEEKENDS WALK-INS WELCOME 30+ HOUSTON AREA LOCATIONS Join the millions of Americans who have found relief, recovery and wellness, through chiropractic's natural drug-free approach. We've Got You Covered! Third Coast | October 11, 2018 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Purchase your tickets TODAY and receive event updates at: https://jbf-celeb-chef-tour.squadup.com/houston.html James Beard Foundation Award Winning Chefs include: Michael Mina, International Smoke and Hugo Ortega, Hugo's Guest Chef: Mike McKinney, Orsay Host Chef: Jon Buchanan, Third Coast The James Beard Foundation is a national not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in New York City. James Beard Foundation's Celebrity Chef Tour - Houston

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