Judge, Meagan

Aims Thymic epithelial tumours (TET), including thymomas and thymic carcinomas and thymic neuroendocrine neoplasms, are malignant neoplasms that can be associated with morbidity and mortality. Recently, an updated version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Thoracic Tumours 5th Edition, 2021 has been released, which included various changes to the classification of these neoplasms. In addition, in 2017 the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) / American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) published the 8th Edition Staging Manual which, for the first time, includes a TNM staging that is applicable to thymomas, thymic carcinomas, and thymic neuroendocrine neoplasms. Methods and Results To standardize reporting of resected TET and thymic neuroendocrine neoplasms the accrediting bodies updated their reporting protocols. The International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR), which represents a collaboration between various National Associations of Pathology, updated its 2017 histopathology reporting guide on TET and thymic neuroendocrine neoplasms accordingly. This report will highlight important changes in the reporting of TET and thymic neuroendocrine neoplasms based on the 2021 WHO, emphasize the 2017 TNM staging, and also comment on the rigour and various uncertainties for the pathologist when trying to follow that staging. Conclusion The ICCR dataset provides a comprehensive, standardized template for reporting of resected TET and thymic neuroendocrine neoplasms.

AimsThe International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR) is a not‐for‐profit organization formed by the Royal Colleges of Pathologists of Australasia and the United Kingdom, the College of American Pathologists, the Canadian Association of Pathologists–Association Canadienne des Pathologists in association with the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, and the European Society of Pathology. Its goal is to produce standardized, internationally agreed, evidence‐based datasets for use throughout the world.Methods and resultsThis article describes the development of a cancer dataset by the multidisciplinary ICCR expert panel for the reporting of thymic epithelial tumours. The dataset includes ‘required’ (mandatory) and ‘recommended’ (non‐mandatory) elements, which are validated by a review of current evidence and supported by explanatory text. Seven required elements and 12 recommended elements were agreed by the international dataset authoring committee to represent the essential information for the reporting of thymic epithelial tumours.ConclusionsThe use of an internationally agreed, structured pathology dataset for reporting thymic tumours provides all of the necessary information for optimal patient management, facilitates consistent and accurate data collection, and provides valuable data for research and international benchmarking. The dataset also provides a valuable resource for those countries and institutions that are not in a position to develop their own datasets.