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Research

Pathologists’ diagnosis of invasive melanoma and melanocytic proliferations: observer accuracy and reproducibility study

BMJ 2017; 357 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j2813 (Published 28 June 2017) Cite this as: BMJ 2017;357:j2813

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Infallible laboratory pigeons

Trained laboratory pigeons are reported to produce excellent cancer detection rates when confronted with biopsy slides. [2]
Pigeons learn fast, in only 15 days, and manage to efficiently diagnose cancers, with accuracy levels close to 99%.
Even combinations of first and second opinions on pathology slides from expert pathologists with a high volume of diagnostic work resulted in many more mistakes in diagnoses. [1]
Pigeons err less than US pathologists.
False positive and false negative diagnostic results in this new study confirm doctors' inaccurate diagnostic performance.
References
[1] http://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i3069
[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4651348/

Competing interests: No competing interests

03 July 2017
Stavros Saripanidis
Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Kalamaria, Thessaloniki, Greece

Kudos to Pathologists

As an intern, I rotated through anatomic pathology and performed autopsies under the supervision of senior pathologists. Although my graduating medical school class was 90% male, with no non-whites, these pathologists were a surprisingly and delightfully diverse and avant-garde group of physicians who enriched my understanding of life. They were kind, helpful, knowledgeable, philosophical, and the best teachers in medical school. They correlated the basic sciences with clinical medicine and taught me to actively question, think, and analyze, rather than passively accept, believe, and memorize. Although my internship ended many years ago, and I did not become a pathologist, I still have fond and appreciative memories of these pathologists. Each one was a gem, and it was a privilege to know them.


Competing interests: No competing interests

02 July 2017
Hugh Mann
Physician
Retired
New York, NY, USA
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