Latest Pathology and Forensic Medicine research
New pathology and forensic medicine studies from Q1 journals, graded on the Oxford CEBM evidence hierarchy. Each paper links to a short summary and the original on PubMed. Updated 7 November 2026.
Paper of the day, last two weeks
Diagnostic and triage performance of CDO1 and CELF4 methylation in cervical exfoliated cells compared with serum biomarkers for endometrial cancer in abnormal bleeding women
Journal of gynecologic oncology · Q1 journal · Prospective cohort · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 3 November 2026
In 492 women with abnormal bleeding, a combined CDO1 and CELF4 methylation test on cervical scrapings had better diagnostic performance than endometrial thickness or the best-performing serum marker. Endometrial cancer risk was 75% after a positive result and 4.5% after a negative result, but the referral-based study needs validation in lower-risk settings before guiding care.
Beyond the label 'high-grade': histological heterogeneity as a prognostic marker in Ta non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer
BJU international · Q1 journal · Prospective cohort · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 2 November 2026
In 321 patients with Ta bladder cancer followed for a median of about five years, a high-grade component of at least 10% was associated with progressively worse progression-free survival; the 5% threshold was not. High-grade percentage did not independently predict recurrence, and the progression finding was strongest in exploratory analyses of patients not treated with BCG. Prospective studies must confirm whether this measure should guide care.
Beyond the label 'high-grade': histological heterogeneity as a prognostic marker in Ta non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer
BJU international · Q1 journal · Prospective cohort · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 2 November 2026
In 321 patients with Ta bladder cancer followed for a median of about five years, a high-grade component of at least 10% was associated with progressively worse progression-free survival; the 5% threshold was not. High-grade percentage did not independently predict recurrence, and the progression finding was strongest in exploratory analyses of patients not treated with BCG. Prospective studies must confirm whether this measure should guide care.
Beyond the label 'high-grade': histological heterogeneity as a prognostic marker in Ta non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer
BJU international · Q1 journal · Prospective cohort · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 2 November 2026
In 321 patients with Ta bladder cancer followed for a median of about five years, a high-grade component of at least 10% was associated with progressively worse progression-free survival; the 5% threshold was not. High-grade percentage did not independently predict recurrence, and the progression finding was strongest in exploratory analyses of patients not treated with BCG. Prospective studies must confirm whether this measure should guide care.
Whole Transcriptome Sequencing Reveals a GATA4-INHA Program and Progenitor Cell of Origin in Cholangioblastic Cholangiocarcinoma
Modern pathology : an official journal of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, Inc · Q1 journal · Unclassified · Evidence level 5 (Expert Opinion) · 28 October 2026
Transcriptomic and immunohistochemical evidence clarifies rare tumor classification
Whole Transcriptome Sequencing Reveals a GATA4-INHA Program and Progenitor Cell of Origin in Cholangioblastic Cholangiocarcinoma
Modern pathology : an official journal of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, Inc · Q1 journal · Unclassified · Evidence level 5 (Expert Opinion) · 28 October 2026
Transcriptomic and immunohistochemical evidence clarifies rare tumor classification
Whole Transcriptome Sequencing Reveals a GATA4-INHA Program and Progenitor Cell of Origin in Cholangioblastic Cholangiocarcinoma
Modern pathology : an official journal of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, Inc · Q1 journal · Unclassified · Evidence level 5 (Expert Opinion) · 28 October 2026
Transcriptomic and immunohistochemical evidence clarifies rare tumor classification
EGFR and TP53 mutations refine prognostic stratification of IDH-wildtype astrocytomas, not elsewhere classified
Acta neuropathologica communications · Q1 journal · Prospective cohort · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 3 August 2026
In this retrospective study of 38 adults with IDH-wildtype astrocytoma, 11 had EGFR or TP53 mutations; their overall survival tracked closely with that of glioblastoma patients and was worse than in patients without either mutation. These findings suggest routine sequencing could help flag a high-risk subgroup, but the small cohort needs prospective validation.
Diagnostic accuracy of neuropathological assessment across different diagnostic settings for high-grade gliomas: the added value of DNA methylation profiling
Acta neurochirurgica · Q1 journal · Retrospective cohort · Evidence level 4 (Very Low) · 24 October 2026
In 130 selected cases, specialist neuropathology identified every high-grade glioma classified by DNA methylation profiling, while general pathology missed 20 of them, often labeling tumors low-grade or non-neoplastic. Specialist review matched the reference classification in 99% of cases, but this retrospective, selected cohort cannot establish performance across all settings; methylation profiling also refined some diagnoses.
Optimising Expert Pathology Referral in Barrett's Oesophagus Dysplasia Through p53-Guided Triage: A Nationwide Real-World Cohort Study
United European gastroenterology journal · Q1 journal · Prospective cohort · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 1 October 2026
In a nationwide cohort of 1,146 patients, expert review changed 46.9% of referring diagnoses, and reclassified 73.4% of cases called indefinite for dysplasia. Abnormal p53 staining helped identify diagnoses likely to stand: 91.7% of low- or high-grade dysplasia biopsies with this pattern were confirmed, supporting triage of limited expert review capacity, though prospective validation is needed.
Immersive Virtual Reality for Pain and Anxiety Reduction During Transrectal Ultrasound-Guided Prostate Biopsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Journal of clinical medicine · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 20 October 2026
Across four randomized trials involving 454 patients, immersive virtual reality did not significantly reduce pain or anxiety during transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy. The pooled results were highly inconsistent and unstable, although no major device-related harms were reported; evidence is too uncertain to support routine use and larger standardized trials are needed.
Systemic and Histopathological Effects of Bromelain-Based Enzymatic Debridement in Human Burns-A Systematic Review
Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 13 October 2026
Across 12 human studies, none measured systemic effects and tissue changes in the same burn patients: ten studies included 970 patients, while two tissue studies included just nine. C-reactive protein and procalcitonin were higher after enzymatic than surgical debridement during the first week, but biopsies were described only qualitatively. The mechanisms behind this systemic response remain untested in paired tissue and blood data.
Generalisability of an adult-trained AI model to paediatric coeliac disease diagnosis: a multicentre external validation study
EClinicalMedicine · Q1 journal · Unclassified · Evidence level 5 (Expert Opinion) · 12 October 2026
Multicentre external validation of AI for biopsy diagnosis
Generalisability of an adult-trained AI model to paediatric coeliac disease diagnosis: a multicentre external validation study
EClinicalMedicine · Q1 journal · Unclassified · Evidence level 5 (Expert Opinion) · 12 October 2026
Multicentre external validation of AI for biopsy diagnosis
Evidence summaries in Pathology and Forensic Medicine
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For healthcare professionals. Summaries are generated by AI from the published abstract and are not medical advice. Read the original paper before changing practice.