Oncology-Pathology Working Group

Diagnosis and histopathologic prognostication of canine melanocytic neoplasms: A consensus of the Oncology-Pathology Working Group

Value, Limitations, and Recommendations for Grading of Canine Cutaneous Mast Cell Tumors: A consensus of the Oncology-Pathology Working Group

Prognostic and predictive significance of KIT protein expression and c-kit gene mutation in canine cutaneous mast cell tumours: A consensus of the Oncology-Pathology Working Group

The use, publication and future directions of immunocytochemistry in veterinary medicine: a consensus of the Oncology Pathology Working Group

OPWG Consensus on Grading Canine Soft Tissue Sarcomas

OPWG Consensus on Histopathologic Classification of Canine Prostate Cancer

OPWG Consensus on the Classification and Grading of Canine Mammary Tumors

The Oncology-Pathology Working Group (OPWG) was established in 2011 as an initiative within the Veterinary Cancer Society to foster and promote an integrated working relationship between veterinary oncologists (medical, surgical, & radiation) and pathologists (anatomic and clinical) to facilitate and ensure the highest standard of pathology support and reporting for the advancement of veterinary clinical oncology and cancer research. In 2013, the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) expressed interest in the mission of the OPWG, after which the initiative became a joint venture of VCS and ACVP as it stands today.

Anyone interested in veterinary oncology and pathology is welcome to join the OPWG, including board-certified and board-eligible specialists, veterinary residents, interns, students, technicians and researchers (PhDs, PhD students, etc); however, active membership in ACVP, VCS, ECVP, ESVONC or other international equivalent is required. Membership in AAVLD or ASVCP is also recognized for membership eligibility for residents in training. Membership type and voting eligibility is determined by members’ credentials. Detailed information regarding membership type is provided at the bottom of these FAQs.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the OPWG, please download and complete the OPWG Membership Application Form and submit to opwg.vcs@gmail.com. Active membership in VCS, ACVP, ESVONC, ECVP or other international equivalent is required for OPWG membership eligibility. Your application will be reviewed and you will be contacted with additional information.

No dues are owed directly to the OPWG for membership; however, dues associated with membership in either the Veterinary Cancer Society (VCS), American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP), European Society of Veterinary Oncology (ESVONC), European College of Veterinary Pathology (ECVP) or other international equivalent are indirectly required as active membership in one of these organizations is required to be eligible for membership of the OPWG.

The annual OPWG is held virtually in the fall, typically between the annual VCS and ACVP conferences. Specific information regarding the location, date, and time of the annual OPWG meeting is distributed to the membership prior to the meeting.

Since COVID, the annual OPWG meeting has also been held virtually in conjunction with or at a time between the annual VCS and ACVP meetings. Keep an eye on the “Updates” section of this webpage for annual meeting information and, for members, on your emails as the annual meetings approach.

If you’re interested in actively participating in a specific OPWG subgroup, you can contact the subgroup Chair directly (as listed on the OPWG website), or send an email to opwg.vcs@gmail.com indicating your interest. It will be forwarded to the appropriate individual.

Subgroups must consist of a minimum of 6 members, including the Chair and CoChair, and no more than 20 members (although the maximum number may vary with Executive Council approval depending on the circumstances and goals of the Subgroup). Subgroups are composed of as even a distribution as possible of pathologists and oncologists. The Chair and Co-Chair positions are always held by one oncologist and one pathologist.

The OPWG Subgroups are the core of the OPWG with regard to establishing consensus documents and/or reviews on any number of various oncologic pathology topics including but not limited to species and tumor-specific grading schemes, prognostic markers, predictive markers, biologically relevant surgical margins, and relevant immunohistochemical markers; diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive. These consensus documents are established via diligent and critical review by all subgroup members of respective and relevant peer-reviewed literature followed by, at times, heated debates and rewarding discussion until consensus is reached.

Subgroup members work with the Subgroup Chair and Co-Chair as well as all other members of the given subgroup. Together, the group identifies relevant literature relative to the particular focus of the group. A literature review form, to provide guidelines and maintain consistency between reviews, is provided to all members. Each member diligently, critically, and independently reviews the selected literature, while completing a review form for each of the respective papers. The Chair and Co-Chair collate and review all of the members’ reviews and produce a single initial consensus document. This document is then reviewed, discussed, and modified by the group as a whole until consensus is reached.

Once a subgroup’s consensus document is submitted to the OPWG, it is posted on the OPWG online forum site for all OPWG members to review and comment on. Following discussions by the OPWG membership (in conjunction with comments from the subgroup members themselves), the consensus document will be voted on by voting members for overall consensus by the OPWG. Once general consensus by the OPWG is established, the document may be circulated amongst other groups (i.e. ACVP, ACVIM Oncology, VCOG, VRTOG, VSSO) for further support (or lack thereof).

Yes, once a consensus document reaches completion (defined as approval by the OPWG general membership and review with support or not by additional organizations and working bodies as mentioned above), documents will be submitted for publication into appropriate peer-reviewed journals. Primary and senior authors will reflect that of the Subgroup Chair and Co-Chair with additional authors consisting of the subgroup members.

There are four membership categories: Full, Associate, Affiliate, and Honorary. Members from all categories are encouraged to participate in the OPWG via the online discussion boards, individual subgroups, and attending annual meetings. Voting eligibility and holding office as an executive officer or subgroup chair, however, is reserved for full members.

A Full Member is a board certified veterinary oncologist, pathologist, radiation oncologist, or surgeon (oncology fellow) as recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), European Board of Veterinary Specialization (EBVS) or other international equivalent.

An Associate Member is a board certified veterinarian (i.e. DVM or other international equivalent) who has completed or is in the process of completing a 3-year residency in oncology, pathology, or radiation oncology, or is in the process of completing a surgical oncology fellowship, as recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), European Board of Veterinary Specialization (EBVS),or other international equivalent.

An Affiliate Member is a board certified veterinary specialist in a discipline other than oncology, pathology, or radiation oncology, to include board certified surgeons who have not completed a surgical oncology fellowship, or is a board certified veterinarian (DVM, VMD, or other international equivalent), veterinary technician/nurse, professional veterinary medical student, or graduate student who meet the general VCS OPWG membership requirements.

An Honorary Member is an individual who has, through their career, whether veterinary or human, demonstrated a special interest in and excelled in the area of oncologic pathology especially with a goal of standardization and improved reporting for the benefit of diagnostic oncologic pathology and cancer research.

Special modifications regarding membership category can be made by the Executive Committee upon review and approval of a proposal submitted by the respective member requesting membership modification.

Additional details of membership, including maintenance requirements of membership, are available in Section V of the OPWG Constitution which can be accessed via the OPWG online forum site.

The OPWG coolness factor is from the overwhelming energy, drive, and passion by all the amazing individuals who believed in and still believe in the mission and potential of the OWPG!