USCAP 2026 Diagnostic Pathology Update

USCAP’s Diagnostic Pathology Update focuses on practical problems in daily surgical pathology. The curriculum spans breast, genitourinary, gynecologic, thoracic, gastrointestinal, liver, bone, soft tissue, skin, and head and neck pathology. Sessions address tumor classification, grading, biomarkers, immunohistochemistry and molecular findings, with cases that highlight diagnostic mimics and interpretive pitfalls.

Directed by Steven D. Billings and Marisa R. Nucci, the original course was held July 12–17, 2026 in Prague. The faculty, learning objectives and lecture topics are retained below. Session labels marked ARS refer to the source program’s audience-response format; this file purchase does not include live interaction, USCAP registration or provider-platform services.

Official USCAP Faculty

The 2026 Diagnostic Pathology Update faculty includes:

• Steven D. Billings, MD – Cleveland Clinic
• Marisa R. Nucci, MD – Brigham and Women’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School
• Kimberly H. Allison, MD – Stanford University School of Medicine
• Meera R. Hameed, MD – Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Jesse McKenney, MD – Cleveland Clinic
• Cesar A. Moran, MD – The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Lisa Rooper, MD – Johns Hopkins Hospital
• Maria Westerhoff, MD – University of Michigan

Learning Objectives

The program is designed to help pathologists:

• Update diagnostic criteria across multiple organ systems.
• Review evolving tumor classifications.
• Recognize important diagnostic mimics and pitfalls.
• Apply morphology more effectively in difficult cases.
• Integrate immunohistochemistry into diagnostic workflows.
• Understand emerging molecular and genomic findings.
• Evaluate biomarkers relevant to contemporary pathology.
• Improve differential diagnosis of uncommon and overlapping lesions.
• Apply updated diagnostic information in daily surgical pathology practice.

BREAST PATHOLOGY

Breast pathology is a major component of the program, led by Kimberly H. Allison, MD.

Biomarker Driven Breast Cancer Decisions: What a Pathologist Needs to Know

• Biomarker interpretation
• Pathologist contribution to therapeutic decision-making
• Modern breast cancer classification
• Integration of pathology and oncology

WHO Wants to Know the Latest? Tumours of the Breast 6th Edition Updates

• Classification changes
• Emerging entities
• Updated terminology
• Diagnostic implications
• Molecular integration

Papillary Proliferations and Pitfalls: Test Yourself! (ARS)

• Papillary breast lesions
• Morphologic overlap
• Diagnostic traps
• Differential diagnosis

Intraductal Proliferations of the Breast: How’s Your Diagnostic Agreement? (ARS)

Breast Cancer Risk Lesions and Precursors: Current Concepts and Conundrums

• Breast cancer precursor lesions
• Risk lesions
• Contemporary terminology
• Difficult classification problems

GENITOURINARY PATHOLOGY

Presented primarily by Jesse McKenney, MD.

Prostatic Adenocarcinoma Grading: 2026 Update

• Prostate cancer grading
• Morphologic interpretation
• Grading challenges
• Current diagnostic practice

Low-Risk Oncocytic Renal Neoplasia (ARS)

• Classification
• Morphologic overlap
• Low-risk entities
• Differential diagnosis

Flat Urothelial Lesions with Atypia: Difficult for Everyone!

• Reactive atypia
• Dysplasia
• Flat urothelial lesions
• Diagnostic uncertainty

Germ Cell Tumors of the Testis: Classification with Emphasis on Morphology

• Testicular germ cell tumors
• Morphologic classification
• Differential diagnosis
• Practical diagnostic criteria

Renal Neoplasms with Papillary Architecture (ARS)

GYNECOLOGIC PATHOLOGY

Presented by Marisa R. Nucci, MD.

A Practical Approach to Uterine Smooth Muscle Tumors

• Leiomyoma
• Atypical smooth muscle tumors
• STUMP-related diagnostic considerations
• Leiomyosarcoma

Histotyping of Endometrial Carcinoma: Is Morphology and Immunohistochemistry Sufficient? (ARS)

• Morphology
• Immunohistochemistry
• Tumor histotype
• Molecular information

A Sneak Peek into What’s New in the Upcoming 6th Edition of the WHO Classification of Female Genital Tract Tumours

• Tumor terminology
• Entity definition
• Diagnostic criteria
• Molecular classification

THORACIC & PULMONARY PATHOLOGY

Presented by Cesar A. Moran, MD.

Pleural Mesothelioma – Is It Always Straightforward?

Mediastinal Mass – The Challenges in Interpretation (ARS)

Thymoma – The Yesterday of Today

From Biopsy to Resection: The Surprises (ARS)

Challenging Uncommon Primary Tumors of the Lung

BONE & SOFT TISSUE PATHOLOGY

Presented by Meera R. Hameed, MD, with additional vascular and dermatopathology material from Steven D. Billings.

Skeleton Key: Introduction to Bone Tumors

Old Bones, New Tricks: Bone Tumor Pathology in Molecular Era

• Molecular findings
• Genetic alterations
• Contemporary classification

Giant Cell Rich Lesions of Bone and Soft Tissue (ARS)

Soft Tissue Tumors as Primaries in Bone: Pearls and Pitfalls

Epithelioid Soft Tissue Tumors: Diagnostic Challenges (ARS)

DERMATOPATHOLOGY

Melanocytomas, Spitz Tumors and More

Steven D. Billings, MD

• Melanocytomas
• Spitz tumors
• Related melanocytic entities

30 Minutes of Diagnostically Challenging Adnexal Tumors (ARS)

Steven D. Billings, MD

Vexing Vascular Tumors

Steven D. Billings, MD

GASTROINTESTINAL PATHOLOGY

Presented by Maria Westerhoff, MD.

Of Plagues and Potions: Updates in GI Tract Drug Injury and Infectious Diseases

• Drug-related GI injury
• Infectious gastrointestinal pathology
• Diagnostic mimics
• Pattern recognition

Labyrinth in Prague: A Maze of Systemic Disease Cases Involving the Tubular GI Tract (ARS)

LIVER & HEPATOBILIARY PATHOLOGY

A Pragmatic Approach to Diagnosing Medical Liver Biopsies

Maria Westerhoff, MD

Distinguishing HCC From Other Tumors

Select Biliary and Gallbladder Neoplastic Cases (ARS)

• Biliary tract
• Gallbladder
• Intraductal lesions

HEAD & NECK PATHOLOGY

Presented primarily by Lisa Rooper, MD.

Challenges in Head and Neck Squamous Lesions: Beyond Bread and Butter

Updates in Salivary Gland Pathology

Critical Issues in Thyroid Pathology: Diagnoses That Can’t Be Missed (ARS)

Keeping Your Nose Clean in Sinonasal Pathology

A Practical Approach to Head and Neck Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (ARS)