Protocol for the examination of specimens from patients with carcinoma of the ampulla of vater: A basis for checklists

A protocol for the pathologic examination and reporting of specimens from patients with carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater has been developed by the Cancer Committee of the College of American Pathologists. The protocol incorporates all basic pathology data of diagnostic and prognostic significance appropriate for the treatment of patients with ampullary carcinoma. The purposes of the protocol are to serve as a basis for the development of checklists, as an outline for full narrative reporting, as a basis for research protocols, or as a guide for other types of synoptic or reporting formats. The protocol is stratified to accommodate the surgical procedures usually employed for carcinomas of the ampulla of Vater, including acquisition of cytologic specimens, incisional biopsy, excisional biopsy, and Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy, partial or complete, with or without partial gastrectomy). Explanatory notes detailing specific procedures and rationales for documentation of specific pathologic data are included in the protocol. The protocol uses the staging system for carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater defined by the American Joint Committee on Cancer and the International Union Against Cancer.