Changing Pathology with Changing Drugs

This special issue is devoted to the changing role of pathology in the context of cancer and its treatment with new drugs such as inhibitors of tyrosine kinases, small molecules and antibodies, as well as combination therapies. The analysis of tissues under combined therapy will be a challenge as different changes will intermingle. A further challenge will be the analysis of follow-up biopsies of the same tumor or of secondary tumors following treatment. In future, pathologists are therefore likely to assume a much more active role in the management of cancer, moving from the position of an observer and describer to that of someone who can suggest modalities of personalized therapy based on the functional properties of the cancer cells under scrutiny. New approaches to treat leukemia, lymphoma, skin, breast, kidney and gastrointestinal cancer are discussed in this issue, which is recommended reading to anyone interested in the pathology of cancers under new treatment options.