Whole-slide imaging allows real-time remote diagnosis for breast cancer
MD Anderson Research Highlight March 20, 2025
Pathologists traditionally use light microscopy to evaluate stained frozen sections of lymph nodes obtained during surgery in patients with breast cancer. To enable pathologists to support the surgeons remotely, researchers led by , evaluated the use of whole-slide imaging (WSI), a digital pathology tool that allows pathologists to remotely view the frozen sections of lymph nodes in real time at different magnifications in order to diagnose metastatic breast cancer in patients and consult easily with other experts. Retrospective analysis showed that WSI is comparable to light microscopy for diagnostic accuracy, leading the researchers to examine its real-time feasibility. The prospective study validated these findings, showing the remote approach achieved comparable diagnostic accuracy with similar times to provide a diagnosis. This resulted in the incorporation of WSI for remote diagnosis as a standard of care at MD Anderson. These findings highlight the potential of using WSI for real-time evaluation of frozen samples from patients with breast cancer as a standard of care in surgical pathology. Learn more in .
Digital pathology, including the use of whole slide imaging of stained tissue sections, is revolutionizing pathology practice. Pathologists now can evaluate tissues in real time, or at any time, on digital devices without the need for a microscope.