Breaking News
Meet the newest member of the BAC Executive Committee!
08 May 2012 : Hi, I am Melanie Buchan, a cytology screener based at Derby and I absolutely love my job!
I was delighted to have been considered, nominated and proposed for the BAC Executive Committee election and so imagine how thrilled I was when I discovered I had been successful in the recent ballot! Thank you to all who voted for me.
I have been with the NHS since 2001 and started my Cytology career in April 2007 when I trained at the Leicester Royal Infirmary and qualified in August 2009. I thoroughly enjoyed studying for my City & Guilds Diploma in Cervical Cytology and have gained a real passion and enthusiasm for the subject.
I very much enjoy the Journal Based Learning exercises and would urge all Screeners out there to have a go at them, especially as we now receive the Cytopathology Journal as part of our BAC Membership.
I would like the BAC, its website and linked publications to be the focal point for its members, providing effective communication of information as well as reassurance and support with regard to future developments affecting cytology. I am looking forward to contributing to the promotion of the BAC and helping it to achieve its aims. I am also keen to represent the role of Screeners especially in today’s ever evolving and challenging discipline of Cytology.
Outside of work, I enjoy country walks, gardening, visiting galleries & museums and listening to The Archers!
My contact details are:
Melanie Buchan
Department of Cytology
Level 5, Pathology
Royal Derby Hospitals Foundation Trust
Uttoxeter Road
Derby
DE22 3NE
01332 789390
email: melanie.buchan@nhs.net
Chief Scientific Officer's Bulletin April 2012
16 April 2012 : The April 2012 edition of the Chief Scientific Officer’s Bulletin is now available.
In the latest edition, Professor Sue Hill talks about the two-day leadership event for healthcare scientists at the end of the month and your final opportunity to provide nominations for the 2012 Healthcare Science Awards.
You’ll also find out more about the 10 cluster Scientific Directors and the projects they are working on to tackle current issues in healthcare science. You can also find out more about the IQIPS accreditation initiative for physiology diagnostic services and the National Laboratory Medicine Catalogue
http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/04/cso-april/
BAC Spring Tutorial 23rd March Programme and timings
12 March 2012 : The first BAC Spring Tutorial to be held on 23rd March is now fully subscribed to. The finalised programme with start/finish times are as below:
BAC-RCPath Spring tutorial, Friday 23 March 2012
Henriette Raphael Centre, Guy’s hospital, London
09.00- 10.00 Registration and coffee
10:00-10.45 Thyroid FNA: Onsite assessment and variation in reporting profiles
Dr Thomas Giles, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, UK
10.45- 11.45 Thyroid cytopathology: Coming to terms with terminology
Prof Syed Z Ali, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
11.45- 12.15 Immunochemistry on cytology specimens: special precautions
Ms Irena Srebotnik-Kirbis, Institute of Pathology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
12.15-13.30 Lunch
13.30-15.00 Workshops
Thyroid FNA. Prof Syed Ali
Immunocytochemistry. Ms Irena Srebotnik-Kirbis
Serous effusions. Dr Roberto Dina, Imperial College, London
Urine cytology. Dr Thomas Giles
15.00- 15.30 Tea
15.30- 17.00 Repeat workshops
BAC Annual Scientific Meeting registration now open!!
03 March 2012 : The British Association for Cytopathology (BAC) are pleased to announce the opening of bookings for their Scientific Conference and Trade Exhibition which is to be held at Keele University, Thursday 13th - Saturday 15th September 2012.
The meeting is suitable for pathologists, BMS and cytoscreeners at any level of experience and covers both gynaecological and diagnostic cytology - the scientific programme has been designed to provide a balanced mix of both.
Non-gynae presentations on synovial fluids, biliary tract, QA in non-gynae and andrology, whilst the gynae programme will include sessions on primary screening with HPV testing, utilising the skills of Cytoscreeners, the new ABC 3 guidelines and diagnostic challenges with
LBC. There will also be a symposium and panel discussion about the future of cytology and cytologists which should no doubt provide some interesting debates!
Microscopy workshops will be available to book in addition to the main conference on the Thursday afternoon and will comprise of both ThinPrep and SurePath LBC and a non-gynae workshop will feature both respiratory and fluid samples, presented in a mock -MDT style.
Submissions for oral presentations and posters are also encouraged.
Full meeting and registration details can be found using the link below.
https://www.keele-conferencemanagement.com/keele/frontend/reg/thome.csp?pageID=16996&event...
Cytology screener opportunity in New Zealand
15 February 2012 : Are you an experienced Cytoscreener? Are you looking for a job where your passion and skill can make a real difference? Aotea Pathology is based in Wellington, New Zealand, and we provide world-class pathology services to the greater Wellington region. We are looking for a Medical Laboratory Scientist/Technician to join our busy and close-knit Cytology department.
Please submit your application as soon as possible.
Cytopathology - Editor's choice
07 February 2012 : Cytopathology 201223(1)
An article in Cytopathology by Austin and Zhao has been ed as Editor’s Choice for free access during February and March. The authors provide an extensively referenced review of cervical cancer cases collectively described as Type 2 cancers, which may be difficult to prevent by screening. Their article is largely based on personal medicolegal experience in the U.S.A. but is equally relevant to practice in other countries where ‘invasive cancer audits’ frequently reveal cases of cancer in women, often in younger age groups, who have been previously screened. Two national audits are reported in the same issue: Castanon et al. from the NHS screening programme in England and Repše-Fokter et al. from Slovenia. Both these articles show that slides may look different with the benefit of hindsight and knowledge of the outcome. The editorial draws attention to the rarity of cancers in screened women compared with the far greater numbers of high-grade CIN lesions accurately detected and focuses on the need to screen, manage and treat young women if these difficult Type 2 cancers are to be prevented or at least detected at an early and treatable stage.
Editor’s choice
Type 1 and type 2 cervical carcinomas: some cervical cancers are more difficult to prevent with screening (pages 6-12)
R.M. Austin and C. Zhao
Other articles on the same theme
Review of cytology and histopathology as part of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme audit of invasive cervical cancers (pages 13-22)
A. Castanon, S. Ferryman, J. Patnick and P. Sasieni
Review of negative and low-grade cervical smears in women with invasive cervical cancer after the first 3 years of the national screening programme in Slovenia (pages 23-29)
A. Repše-Fokter, A. Pogačnik, V. Snoj, M. Primic-Žakelj and M. Strojan Fležar
The challenge of cervical screening: to find and treat high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia at risk of progression in women of childbearing age (pages 3-5)
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2303
Trial Puts primary HPV screening for cervical cytology ahead of cytology in Mexico
29 January 2012 : How to screen or detect/prevent cervical cytology in developing countries is a challenge. The Mexican government set up a trial of cervical cytology vs vaginal sample HPV testing collected by women at home. The results suggest that the HPV arm was far more effective at detection of pre-cancerous changes and cancer than cytology. How to use the findings of this study is now the next step.
Lancet 2011
BAC website goes live!!
11 January 2012 : The BAC website has gone "live" as of 11th January 2012. We hope you find it useful, with information on the BAC itself, its planned meetings and other items. It is being developed to act as educational and resource tool, so keep an eye on it!! If you see any errors, omissions or feel moved to suggest additions etc please contact us!!
New website
07 December 2011 : The BAC website is currently under construction. It is being developed in line with the society’s needs, and hopefully you will see it evolving as you visit it over the next few weeks and months. We are deliberately not having a member’s area or chat facility at this time, but intend to develop the site more in the very near future. If you have any ideas for content, development etc please contact the BAC.
Dates for BAC Annual Scientific Meeting
07 December 2011 : Dates for BAC Annual scientific Meeting announced as 13-15th September 2012. The event will be over 2 ½ days, again using the facilities at Keele University. The programme is still to be developed but will have a series of workshops on the afternoon of Thursday 13th September, and then two full days of scientific presentations, with a mix of gynaecological and non-gynaecological cytology, posters, and trade show. There will be a social calendar also. Details of the event will be announced soon, but hold these dates in your diary!!