New recommendations released in diagnosis of HPV-associated squamous lesions

The College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) jointly issued The Lower Anogenital Squamous Terminology (LAST) Standardization Project for HPV-Associated Lesions: Background and Consensus. The new recommendations provide standardization of diagnostic terminology of lesions associated with the human papillomavirus across lower anogenital tract body sites, including the appropriate use of biomarkers to distinguish these lesions.

The CAP/ASCCP LAST Project consensus recommendations were released on June 28, 2012, in the online editions of Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine (Archives) and in the Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease (JLGTD), the official journals of the CAP and the ASCCP, respectively.

Through implementation of the recommendations, the two organizations aim to enhance communication between pathologists and clinicians, leading to more effective patient management of HPV-associated disease and, ultimately, improved patient outcomes.

Click here to read more from the College of American Pathologists.