Postgraduate Specialisation in Medical Oncology

Clinical pathology

Course code

4S01666

Name of lecturer

Stefania Cane'

Number of ECTS credits allocated

1

Academic sector

MED/05 - CLINICAL PATHOLOGY

Language of instruction

Italian

Site

VERONA

Period

not yet allocated

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the trainee will be able to: -Integrate clinical pathology into oncology practice -Understand the role of clinical pathology in the diagnostic and therapeutic pathway of cancer patients. -Interpret complex laboratory data as a function of staging, prognosis, and response to treatment. -Oncology immunotherapy (ICI and CAR-T) -Understand the main immunological mechanisms underlying immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and CAR-T therapies. -Interpret predictive and response biomarkers (e.g., PD-L1, TMB, peripheral immunological profile). -Recognize and monitor the main immune-mediated toxicities through laboratory parameters. Microbiota and cancer -Understand the role of the microbiota in modulating the immune response and the efficacy of cancer therapies. -Evaluate the main microbiota analysis methodologies and their clinical relevance. -Discuss the potential clinical applications and current limitations of microbiota modulation strategies. - Serum Tumor Markers - Understand the main tumor markers used in medical oncology and their biological rationale. - Correctly interpret their use in disease monitoring, avoiding inappropriate use for diagnostic or screening purposes. - Evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, and clinical limitations of markers. - Liquid Biopsy and cfDNA - Understand the biological and technological principles underlying cfDNA analysis. - Interpret liquid biopsy results for molecular stratification, monitoring minimal residual disease, and identifying resistance mechanisms. - Understand the technical and clinical limitations of the approach. - Myeloid Cells and T Lymphocytes in the Tumor Microenvironment - Understand the role of myeloid cells (MDSCs, monocytes, macrophages) and T lymphocytes in tumor progression and therapeutic response. - Interpret immunophenotypic and functional data from advanced laboratory analyses (flow cytometry, immunological profiling). - Link peripheral immunological alterations to clinical outcomes. - Cancer vaccines - Understand the immunological principles underlying therapeutic cancer vaccines. - Understand the selection criteria for tumor antigens and the main vaccination approaches. - Critically evaluate clinical outcomes and response biomarkers. - Critically analyze recent scientific literature in clinical pathology and oncology. - Integrate clinical, molecular, and immunological data from a precision medicine perspective. - Understand the potential and limitations of translating biomarkers from research to the clinic.

Syllabus

Training Content for SSD MED/46 – Clinical Pathology (Core Course) Clinical Pathology Applied to Oncology. The role of clinical pathology in the diagnostic and therapeutic pathway of cancer patients. Prescription appropriateness and critical interpretation of laboratory tests. Prognostic, predictive, and monitoring biomarkers. Immunomonitoring in Oncology. Immunophenotypic analysis of lymphocyte and myeloid populations. Multiparametric flow cytometry and functional assays. Peripheral immunological biomarkers and their clinical significance. Serum Tumor Markers. Main tumor markers used in clinical practice. Diagnostic limitations and role in follow-up. Longitudinal interpretation of markers. Liquid Biopsy and CFDNA. Biology of Circulating Tumor DNA. Analytical Methods (ddPCR, NGS). Clinical Applications: Molecular Stratification, Dynamic Monitoring, Minimal Residual Disease. Technical and Interpretative Limitations. Laboratory Monitoring of Innovative Therapies. Biochemical, Immunological, and Inflammatory Parameters. Early identification of treatment-related toxicities. MED/06 – Medical Oncology (clinical integration) Oncology immunotherapy Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: mechanisms of action. Predictive biomarkers of response and resistance. Clinical-laboratory correlations. Cellular therapies (CAR-T) Biological and clinical principles of CAR-T cells. Biomarkers of efficacy, expansion, and persistence. CRS and neurotoxicity: laboratory framework. Antitumor vaccines Biological and immunological rationale. Biomarkers of immune response. Current clinical evidence. MED/04 – General Pathology (biological bases) Tumor immunology. Tumor microenvironment. Role of myeloid cells (MDSC, TAM) and T lymphocytes. Mechanisms of tumor immunosuppression. BIO/14 – Pharmacology (selected elements) Pharmacodynamic biomarkers. Immune-mediated toxicities and laboratory correlates. Interaction between oncology drugs, the immune system, and microbiota.

Reference books

See the teaching bibliography

Assessment methods and criteria