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Full-length video Where can I learn more about reading a skin-pathology report?

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What does the diagnosis line tell me?

The Report Starts the Treatment Plan

The first line patients usually notice is the diagnosis: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, actinic keratosis, nevus, cyst, or another name.

That headline answers the first question: What is this?

The smaller words after it often answer the more useful question: What does this require?

A pathology report may describe subtype, differentiation, depth, ulceration, nerve involvement, lymphovascular invasion, and margins. Those details can determine whether the next step is observation, a topical medicine, electrodesiccation and curettage (ED&C), standard excision, Mohs surgery, wider melanoma surgery, staging, radiation, systemic therapy, or expert review.1–4

“A pathology report is a treatment map. It tells us where to start; the clinical examination and definitive treatment tell us whether the map was complete.”

- Dr. Hocker
Which pathology-report words should I read first?

Read the Report in This Order

The exact layout varies by laboratory, but a practical reading sequence is:

  1. Diagnosis — What is the lesion?
  2. Subtype or pattern — How is it growing under the microscope?
  3. Grade or differentiation — How abnormal do the cells look, when that term applies?
  4. Depth or thickness — How far does the process extend in the sampled tissue?
  5. Invasion — Are nerves, lymphatic channels, blood vessels, or deeper structures involved?
  6. Margins — Does the diagnosis reach an examined edge?
  7. Comments, addenda, or pending studies — Is the answer final, or is more work underway?

Do not panic if your report does not list every field. Reporting requirements differ by diagnosis. A BCC report does not need to look like a melanoma report, and a benign cyst report does not need a cancer risk profile.

What important answers are usually outside the pathology report?

What Is Usually Not in the Pathology Report?

A pathology report is a microscope document. It usually does not contain the entire treatment decision.

Important information often comes from outside the report:

  • exact clinical size and border definition;
  • whether the lesion is primary or recurrent;
  • symptoms such as pain, numbness, or weakness;
  • immune suppression or transplant history;
  • prior radiation or surgery at the site;
  • the amount of remaining visible lesion;
  • the patient's health, goals, and treatment tolerance;
  • reconstructive options;
  • insurance or logistical constraints.

This is why patients should be cautious about pasting one report line into a search box and treating the answer as a personalized plan. The report supplies biological evidence; the dermatologist supplies clinical context.

How can I translate common pathology terms?

A Patient Translator for Common Report Terms

A Patient Translator for Common Report Terms
Report termPlain-English meaningWhy it may matterQuestion to ask
DiagnosisThe name of what was foundDetermines whether treatment is needed and which disease pathway appliesIs this benign, precancerous, or malignant?
Histologic subtypeThe microscopic growth patternSome patterns are more likely to extend beyond the visible edgeIs this subtype considered low risk or high risk?
Differentiation/gradeHow closely tumor cells resemble normal cellsPoorly differentiated cSCC is generally more concerning than well-differentiated cSCCDoes the grade change treatment or follow-up?
Depth/thicknessHow far the lesion extends in the sampled tissueCan change risk, stage, excision margin, or nodal discussionWas the full depth captured, and what decision does it change?
UlcerationTrue tumor-related loss of the surface over an invasive melanoma, not simply biopsy traumaChanges melanoma T classification and stageDid the pathologist identify true tumor-related ulceration rather than trauma or artifact?
Perineural invasionTumor cells around or within a nerveCan raise risk and change margin, imaging, radiation, or follow-up decisionsHow extensive is it, and are any symptoms present?
Lymphovascular invasionTumor cells in a lymphatic channel or blood vesselCan signal a higher-risk tumorDoes this change staging or specialist care?
Positive/involved marginThe diagnosis reaches an examined specimen edgeCommon on diagnostic biopsies; more consequential on a definitive excisionWas this specimen intended for diagnosis or complete removal?
Negative/clear marginThe diagnosis is not seen at the examined edgesOn a diagnostic BCC or cSCC biopsy, this cannot be relied upon to prove the cancer is goneWhat definitive treatment does this diagnosis still require?
TransectedThe lesion is cut through at an edge or baseFull depth or extent may be unknownDo we need more tissue before planning treatment?
Atypical/cannot exclude/uncertain potentialThe pathologist cannot make a fully confident benign-versus-malignant classificationMay justify more context, expert review, ancillary testing, or another biopsyWhat uncertainty remains, and would resolving it change management?
Why is a biopsy report still only a sample?

A Biopsy Is a Sample, Not the Whole Tumor

A biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosing a suspicious lesion, but many biopsies intentionally collect only part of the lesion. That matters because tumors can be heterogeneous.

Imagine cutting one square from a patchwork quilt. The square tells you that the quilt contains blue fabric. It cannot prove that every other square is blue.

BCC is a good example. Many BCCs contain more than one growth pattern. Studies comparing biopsy with the final excision or Mohs specimen have found that an initially nonaggressive biopsy sometimes misses an aggressive component elsewhere in the tumor.5–9

The durable lesson is qualitative: a partial BCC biopsy can miss an aggressive component elsewhere in the tumor.6–9 That explains why treatment planning also considers:

  • body site;
  • visible borders;
  • tumor size;
  • recurrence history;
  • immune status;
  • prior treatment;
  • whether the definitive procedure examines the complete mapped margin.

The biopsy is not unreliable because it is a sample. It is useful because it identifies the disease and exposes the questions the final treatment must answer.

How should I read an example pathology report?

How to Read a Short Example Report

Consider this fictional example:

Left nasal sidewall, shave biopsy: basal cell carcinoma, infiltrative type, involving the deep and peripheral edges.

- Dr. Hocker

Read it in pieces:

  • Left nasal sidewall: high-stakes facial anatomy.
  • Shave biopsy: a diagnostic sample, not necessarily complete removal.
  • Basal cell carcinoma: the diagnosis.
  • Infiltrative type: an aggressive growth pattern that can extend beyond the visible border.
  • Involving the deep and peripheral edges: tumor reaches the sampled edges, so more treatment is expected.

The report does not by itself determine the final repair. It strongly supports a discussion of Mohs surgery or another complete-margin method because the diagnosis, subtype, location, and sample limits all point in the same direction.1,5

Now consider another fictional example:

Right upper back, punch biopsy: basal cell carcinoma, nodular type.

- Dr. Hocker

That report supplies less risk information. The treatment decision still needs the tumor's clinical size, borders, recurrence history, immune status, and whether the punch was representative. A nodular subtype on the back may fit standard excision, but the report alone cannot finish the category.

What do positive biopsy margins mean?

What Do Positive Biopsy Margins Mean?

Positive margin, involved margin, extends to the edge, and transected all mean that the diagnosed process reaches an examined boundary of the specimen.

On a diagnostic biopsy, this is common. The biopsy may have been designed to identify the lesion rather than remove it completely. An involved edge means the diagnosed process extends beyond the submitted sample; whether additional treatment is needed depends on the diagnosis, biopsy intent, remaining clinical lesion, and patient.1

On a definitive excision, positive margins carry a different implication. The operation was intended to remove the tumor with an adequate margin, so additional surgery, Mohs, radiation, or another treatment may be needed depending on the cancer and patient.1,2

Always ask whether the margin language refers to:

  • a partial diagnostic biopsy;
  • an excisional biopsy of the visible lesion;
  • a definitive cancer excision;
  • a Mohs stage or another complete-margin method.

Those specimens have different purposes.

Does a clear biopsy margin mean the cancer is gone?

Does a Clear Biopsy Margin Mean the Whole Cancer Is Gone?

No. A negative or clear margin on a diagnostic BCC or cSCC biopsy cannot be relied upon to prove that the cancer is gone.

A clear edge means tumor was not seen at the examined boundary of the tissue submitted. A diagnostic biopsy is a sample, and routine sectioning does not convert that sample into a complete clearance examination. The biopsy's job is to establish the diagnosis; definitive treatment planning follows the diagnosis, not reassurance from the biopsy-margin line.10–12,26

Evidence in numbersEvidence in Numbers: A Negative Biopsy Margin Is Not a Clearance Test

Evidence in Numbers: A Negative Biopsy Margin Is Not a Clearance Test

A literature review combined 221 BCC and cSCC biopsies reported with negative margins. Subsequent analysis still found tumor in 55 cases, or 24.9% overall: 27.5% of BCCs and 12.8% of cSCCs.12

A separate BCC cohort found residual tumor in 34 of 143 margin-negative biopsies (24%).11 In the Schnebelen study, deeper levels changed 11 of 47 initially negative shave-biopsy margins to positive: 30% of BCCs and 15% of cSCCs.26

The studies used different methods and populations, so the exact miss rate is not one universal number. They agree on the decision: do not use a negative diagnostic biopsy margin to declare BCC or cSCC cured.

Which BCC report words can change the plan?

BCC Report Words That Can Change the Plan

For basal cell carcinoma, the subtype can influence whether a simple treatment is sufficient or whether Mohs surgery or another complete-margin method deserves priority.1

Common lower-risk patterns include:

  • nodular;
  • superficial.

Patterns generally treated as more aggressive include:

  • infiltrative;
  • morpheaform or sclerosing;
  • micronodular;
  • basosquamous;
  • sarcomatoid differentiation under current terminology.1

One aggressive component can matter even if the rest of the tumor looks nodular or superficial. The treatment decision also depends on location, recurrence, borders, size, immune status, and prior radiation.

Evidence in numbersEvidence in Numbers: Mixed BCCs Are Easy to Undersample

Evidence in Numbers: Mixed BCCs Are Easy to Undersample

In a 232-case study, biopsy subtype accuracy was 82%; 54% of tumors were mixed, and 7% of all cases contained an aggressive component missed by the biopsy.5 In a separate 500-case punch-biopsy study, overall subtype agreement was 69%, agreement for mixed tumors was only 37%, and 11% contained an unsuspected aggressive subtype.6

The practical lesson is not that every BCC biopsy is unreliable. It is that the diagnosis may be correct while the sampled subtype is incomplete, especially in a mixed tumor.

Which cSCC report words can change the plan?

cSCC Report Words That Can Change the Plan

For cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, the report may describe:

  • differentiation: well, moderate, or poor;
  • depth or thickness;
  • invasion beyond the dermis or into fat;
  • perineural invasion;
  • lymphovascular invasion;
  • aggressive subtype;
  • in situ versus invasive disease.2,13–15

These findings do not all carry the same weight. A small well-differentiated primary cSCC in a low-risk setting is different from a recurrent poorly differentiated tumor with nerve involvement in an immunosuppressed patient.

This is why the phrase squamous cell carcinoma cannot finish the treatment conversation. The Low-Risk vs High-Risk Skin Cancer guide explains how the report, location, patient, and history combine.

What does perineural invasion mean?

What Does Perineural Invasion Mean?

Perineural invasion, or PNI, means tumor cells are growing around or within a nerve.

Patients often hear nerve and assume the cancer has spread throughout the nervous system. Pathology-detected PNI does not mean that the cancer has spread through the entire nervous system or to distant organs. PNI can be an incidental microscopic finding, or it can be part of symptomatic or radiographically visible perineural spread; those situations have materially different risks.14

The significance depends on:

  • cancer type;
  • number and extent of involved nerves;
  • nerve caliber or involvement of a named nerve;
  • depth;
  • symptoms such as pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness;
  • other high-risk features.2,13,14

Incidental microscopic PNI in a small nerve is not the same situation as extensive or symptomatic involvement. Current evidence suggests that extent can be as important as nerve caliber for cSCC prognosis.13,14 Report new pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness to the treating team promptly.

Useful questions include:

  • Was the PNI incidental or associated with symptoms?
  • How extensive was it?
  • Does it change the margin-control method?
  • Is imaging appropriate?
  • Should radiation oncology or another specialist be involved?
  • Does follow-up need to be more intensive?
What should I recognize on a melanoma report?

What Should I Recognize on a Melanoma Report?

Melanoma uses a separate staging framework. This overview should help you recognize the major fields without trying to stage yourself.

Breslow thickness

Breslow thickness is the measured depth of an invasive melanoma in millimeters. It is central to T classification, excision-margin planning, and sentinel lymph node discussion.3,4,16

Ulceration

True tumor-related ulceration means the surface over an invasive melanoma is absent under the microscope. It changes the melanoma T subcategory and can alter stage. Surface loss caused by biopsy trauma or tissue-processing artifact is not counted as melanoma ulceration.3,16,24

Mitotic rate

Mitotic rate records dividing tumor cells per square millimeter. It remains prognostically useful and can inform discussion in selected thin melanomas, although it is not used exactly as it was in older staging systems.3,17

Margins and transection

A melanoma biopsy transected at the base may not provide the full Breslow thickness. The team may need additional tissue or use the definitive specimen to complete the staging information.3,4

Other features

Other report fields can add context, but their meaning and detailed staging belong on the melanoma pathway.3,16,18

Do not use a general report explainer as a substitute for a melanoma staging visit.

What does uncertainty language mean?

What Does Uncertainty Language Mean?

Pathologists sometimes use language such as:

  • atypical proliferation;
  • favor benign or favor malignant;
  • suspicious for;
  • cannot exclude;
  • indeterminate;
  • uncertain malignant potential;
  • additional studies pending.

These phrases signal that the case does not fit a fully secure category on the available material. They are not a secret code with one universal percentage.

Ask three questions:

  1. Is the uncertainty caused by interpretation or by limited sampling?
  2. Would resolving it change treatment?
  3. Is the best next step expert review, deeper sections, ancillary testing, or another biopsy?

The companion pillar When Should Skin Pathology Get a Second Opinion? handles that decision in depth.

What are comments, addenda, and corrected reports?

Comments, Addenda, and Corrected Reports

The final diagnosis may not be the final piece of the document.

A report can be followed by:

  • a comment explaining how the findings fit the clinical differential;
  • an addendum reporting immunostains or molecular testing;
  • an amendment correcting or materially revising an interpretation;
  • a consultation report from another pathologist.

Always read the original diagnosis together with all later addenda or amendments. An addendum may supplement or refine the report. If a finalized diagnosis or other report content is corrected, look for an amended or corrected report. When a portal shows several versions, the treating clinician should identify which interpretation governs the plan.

Why does clinical context matter?

Why Does Clinical Context Matter?

Dermatopathology is not performed in a vacuum. The same microscopic pattern can mean different things depending on:

  • exact body site;
  • lesion size and shape;
  • patient age;
  • symptoms and growth rate;
  • clinical photographs or dermoscopy;
  • prior treatment;
  • immune status;
  • the clinician's differential diagnosis.

For melanocytic lesions and selected difficult skin diagnoses, clinical information can improve diagnostic interpretation.19–21

The report and the examination are not competitors. They are two lenses focused on the same problem.

When might no further surgery be needed?

When Might No Further Surgery Be Needed?

A report does not always lead to surgery.

Examples can include:

  • a benign lesion that was sampled adequately and needs no treatment;
  • an excisionally biopsied moderately dysplastic nevus with positive histologic margins but no clinically apparent residual pigment, managed with observation and routine skin surveillance in an appropriate setting;
  • a selected superficial BCC treated with topical therapy or another evidence-supported nonsurgical method.1,22,23,25

Do not infer no surgery from a pathology word alone. The lesion, site, remaining clinical footprint, and patient must be considered together.

Evidence in numbersEvidence in Numbers: Sometimes the Right Next Step Really Is Observation

Evidence in Numbers: Sometimes the Right Next Step Really Is Observation

Among 467 excisionally biopsied moderately dysplastic nevi with positive histologic margins and no residual visible pigment, none became melanoma at the biopsy site during a mean 6.9 years of follow-up.25 In this cohort, which included many people already at elevated melanoma risk, 22.8% of patients developed melanoma somewhere else. That finding supports ongoing whole-skin surveillance rather than more surgery at an already clear-appearing biopsy site.

This result does not apply to partial biopsies, severe atypia, or visible residual pigment. It is a diagnosis-specific example of why positive margin does not have one universal meaning.

What six questions should I ask after reading the report?

Six Questions to Ask After Reading the Report

  1. What is the diagnosis in plain English?
  2. Which words make it lower risk or higher risk?
  3. Was this a partial sample or an attempt to remove the entire visible lesion?
  4. Do the pathology and clinical appearance agree?
  5. What does this report change about treatment, staging, margin assessment, or follow-up?
  6. Would a second dermatopathology opinion change management?
What should I bring to the treatment visit?

What to Bring to the Treatment Visit

  • the complete report, including comments and addenda;
  • the biopsy date and exact body site;
  • a photograph showing the lesion before biopsy, when available;
  • prior reports or treatments from the same site;
  • a current medication list and immune-suppression history;
  • the name of the original pathology laboratory;
  • your written questions.

If expert review may be needed, ask whether the reviewer needs glass slides, unstained slides, or the paraffin block. A PDF report alone cannot be reinterpreted microscopically.

Frequently asked questions about pathology reports

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a positive biopsy margin mean the biopsy was done incorrectly?

No. A diagnostic biopsy often reaches an edge because its purpose is to identify the lesion. An involved edge means the diagnosed process extends beyond the sample; whether further treatment is needed depends on the diagnosis, biopsy intent, remaining lesion, and patient.

Can a biopsy miss aggressive features?

Yes. A partial sample can miss a deeper or different area in a heterogeneous lesion. That possibility is one reason the final plan also uses location, size, borders, recurrence, immune status, and the margin method.5–9

Does a clear margin mean I am cured?

No, not when the phrase comes from a diagnostic BCC or cSCC biopsy. A negative biopsy margin cannot be relied upon as proof of complete removal. Ask what definitive treatment the diagnosis requires and how those treatment margins will be evaluated.10–12,26

What does well differentiated mean?

It means the tumor cells still resemble normal squamous cells more closely. Poorly differentiated cSCC looks more abnormal and is generally treated as higher risk. Differentiation is one factor, not the entire risk assessment.2

What does in situ mean?

In situ means the malignant cells are confined to the epidermis in the sampled tissue. If the biopsy was partial or transected, ask whether the sample was adequate to evaluate for invasion.2

Does the report tell me whether I need Mohs?

Sometimes. Aggressive subtype, recurrence, PNI, poor differentiation, depth, and other features can strengthen the case for Mohs surgery or another complete-margin method. Location and clinical borders matter too. Use the report with the examination, not by itself.1,2

Should every difficult report get a second opinion?

No. Review is most useful when meaningful uncertainty exists and another interpretation would change treatment, staging, or follow-up. Sometimes the better solution is more tissue rather than another reading of the same slide.

Why is there an addendum?

An addendum may report deeper sections, immunostains, molecular testing, or comparison with prior material. A correction to a finalized diagnosis or other report content belongs in an amended or corrected report. Read the final diagnosis together with every later addendum or amendment.

Can I ask for the complete report?

Yes. Patients can generally obtain the pathology report through the treating office, laboratory, or medical-record process. Bring the complete report, not only a portal summary, to treatment visits.

Where should I go next in the Patient Journey?

Next Steps in the Patient Journey

  • If the diagnosis or terminology remains uncertain, continue to When Should Skin Pathology Get a Second Opinion?
  • If the diagnosis is settled, move to I Was Diagnosed With Skin Cancer. What Happens Next?
  • Use Low-Risk vs High-Risk Skin Cancer to understand which features change the plan.
  • Continue to the treatment-options page for BCC, cSCC, melanoma, or the diagnosed rare tumor.
  • Ask whether complete mapped margin assessment would change the decision before reading Do I Need Mohs Surgery?

Continue with the question that fits you now

Who reviewed and authored this pathology-report guide?
Portrait of Dr. Thomas L.H. Hocker

About the Author

Dr. Thomas L.H. Hocker is a Harvard- and Mayo Clinic-trained, triple board-certified dermatologist, Mohs surgeon, and dermatopathologist. He is the Founding Director of Dermatologic Surgery at the UMKC School of Medicine and University Health and an Iron Surgeon lecturer at the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. His work focuses on Mohs surgery for melanoma, complex and rare skin tumors, and aesthetic reconstruction after skin-cancer treatment. He co-authored the best-selling textbook Review of Dermatology and created Skin Trust to give patients and clinicians free access to clear, current, evidence-based education.

Read Dr. Hocker's background and mission

Dr. Hocker earned his bachelor's degree with honors from Yale University, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. As a Winston Churchill Scholar, he then studied at the University of Cambridge and earned an M.Phil. in Organic Chemistry. He received his M.D. with honors from Harvard Medical School, where his research focused on melanoma genetics. He completed dermatology residency at Mayo Clinic, a dermatopathology fellowship at the University of Michigan, and a Mohs micrographic and reconstructive surgery fellowship at Mayo Clinic. He is board-certified in Dermatology, Dermatopathology, and Mohs Micrographic Surgery.

Dr. Hocker serves as the Founding Director of Dermatologic Surgery at the UMKC School of Medicine and University Health. He is an internationally invited lecturer and speaker who teaches about Mohs surgery for melanoma, complex and rare tumors, dermatopathology, and aesthetic reconstruction after skin-cancer treatment. He has also been selected as an Iron Surgeon lecturer by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. He is the co-author of Review of Dermatology, a best-selling dermatology review textbook, and he continues to teach and mentor medical students, residents, and physicians.

Skin Trust exists because Dr. Hocker believes access to excellent medical knowledge should not depend on geography, wealth, or proximity to a major academic center. After training at several of the world's leading institutions, he sees that education as both a gift and a responsibility: to translate current evidence, expert judgment, and hard-won clinical experience into guidance that patients, families, and clinicians can actually use.

The mission is to increase awareness, reduce avoidable suffering, and give every person equal access to trustworthy, up-to-date information that can help them make the best decisions for their life. Skin Trust also extends Dr. Hocker's lifelong commitment to teaching, writing, and mentoring medical students and residents as they build lives and careers of purpose and service.

For Dr. Hocker, this work is also an expression of faith. He regards the opportunities to learn at Yale, Cambridge, Harvard, Mayo Clinic, and the University of Michigan as blessings from God. Teaching, writing, mentoring, and building Skin Trust are ways to pay those blessings forward in service to patients, learners, and the broader community. His faith is the personal motivation to do this work carefully, generously, and with integrity; it is not a condition of using or benefiting from this free resource.

View Review of Dermatology Read Dr. Hocker's full biography
References for this pathology-report guide

References

  1. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Basal Cell Skin Cancer. Version 2.2026.
  2. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Squamous Cell Skin Cancer. Version 2.2026.
  3. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Melanoma: Cutaneous. 2026.
  4. Swetter SM, Tsao H, Bichakjian CK, et al. Guidelines of care for the management of primary cutaneous melanoma. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2019;80:208-250. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2018.08.055.
  5. Haws AL, Rojano R, Tahan SR, Phung TL. Accuracy of biopsy sampling for subtyping basal cell carcinoma. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2012. PMID: 21798620.
  6. Wolberink EA, Pasch MC, Zeiler M, van Erp PE, Gerritsen MJ. High discordance between punch biopsy and excision in establishing BCC subtype. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2013. PMID: 22759209.
  7. Moon D, Randall G, Higgins S, Sutton AV, Wysong A. Misclassification of aggressive BCC subtypes and implications for management. Dermatol Surg. 2021. PMID: 33905389.
  8. Walocko F, Chelliah P, Kolitz E, et al. BCC histopathologic upgrading and Mohs micrographic surgery. Arch Dermatol Res. 2022. PMID: 33683445.
  9. Clements S, Khachemoune A. Upstaging of BCC and cSCC during definitive surgery. Arch Dermatol Res. 2021. PMID: 33108525.
  10. Koslosky CL, El Tal AK, Workman B, et al. Reliability of skin biopsies in determining accurate tumor margins after Mohs surgery. Dermatol Surg. 2014. PMID: 25099294.
  11. Willardson HB, Lombardo J, Raines M, et al. Predictive value of BCC biopsies with negative margins. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2018. PMID: 29307646.
  12. Purnell JC, Duncan JR, Stratton MS, Huang C, Phillips CB. Negative predictive value of biopsy margins in keratinocyte carcinoma: a literature review. Dermatol Surg. 2020. PMID: 31567613.
  13. Massey PR, Wang DM, Murad F, et al. Extensive perineural invasion versus nerve caliber to assess cSCC prognosis. JAMA Dermatol. 2023. DOI: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2023.3703.
  14. Karia PS, Morgan FC, Ruiz ES, Schmults CD. Clinical and incidental perineural invasion of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review and pooled analysis of outcomes data. JAMA Dermatol. 2017;153(8):781-788. PMID: 28678985. DOI: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.1680.
  15. Hirotsu KE, Aasi SZ, Samson KK, et al. Lymphovascular invasion as a predictor in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2025. PMID: 40253009.
  16. Scolyer RA, Judge MJ, Evans A, et al. Data set for pathology reporting of cutaneous invasive melanoma. Am J Surg Pathol. 2013. PMID: 24061524.
  17. Thompson JF, Soong SJ, Balch CM, et al. Prognostic significance of mitotic rate in localized primary cutaneous melanoma. J Clin Oncol. 2011. PMID: 21519009.
  18. Joshi UM, Kashani-Sabet M, Kirkwood JM. Cutaneous melanoma. JAMA. 2025. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2025.13074.
  19. Lai B, Soyer HP, Zhu L, et al. Impact of clinical information on melanocytic skin lesion pathology diagnosis: a scoping review. JAMA Dermatol. 2024. PMID: 39476175.
  20. Trotter MJ, Au S, Naert KA. Practical strategies to improve the clinical utility of the dermatopathology report. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2016. PMID: 27472234.
  21. Comfere NI, Sokumbi O, Montori VM, et al. Provider-to-provider communication in dermatology and implications of missing clinical information in skin biopsy requisition forms: a systematic review. Int J Dermatol. 2014. PMID: 24116717.
  22. Kim CC, Swetter SM, Curiel-Lewandrowski C, et al. Consensus recommendations for clinically atypical nevi/dysplastic nevi. JAMA Dermatol. 2015. DOI: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2014.2694.
  23. Jansen MHE, Mosterd K, Arits AHMM, et al. Five-year results of photodynamic therapy, imiquimod, and fluorouracil for superficial BCC. J Invest Dermatol. 2018. PMID: 29045820.
  24. College of American Pathologists. Protocol for the Examination of Biopsy Specimens From Patients With Melanoma of the Skin. Version 1.1.0.0. 2025.
  25. Kim CC, Berry EG, Marchetti MA, et al. Risk of subsequent cutaneous melanoma in moderately dysplastic nevi excisionally biopsied but with positive histologic margins. JAMA Dermatol. 2018;154(12):1401-1408. PMID: 30304348. DOI: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2018.3359.
  26. Schnebelen AM, Gardner JM, Shalin SC. Margin status in shave biopsies of nonmelanoma skin cancers: is it worth reporting? Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2016;140(7):678-681. PMID: 27116089. DOI: 10.5858/arpa.2015-0313-OA.