Pathology e learning platform for FRCpath

BCC WITH PILAR DIFFERENTIATION — WHEN BCC LOOKS LIKE A FOLLICULAR TUMOUR 🔬

Not every basal cell carcinoma reads like a “textbook” BCC.

Some show pilar differentiation — infundibular, trichilemmal, matrical or follicular germ-cell differentiation — creating a fascinating diagnostic overlap with follicular adnexal tumours.

The key is to recognise the BCC first.

🔬 Look for:
• Peripheral palisading
• Stromal retraction
• Basaloid nests
• Infundibulocystic/pilar structures
• Appropriate follicular differentiation

⚠️ The major diagnostic trap: trichoepithelioma and trichoblastoma.

IHC can help in difficult cases, but morphology remains king.

And importantly, pilar differentiation itself is not established as an independent adverse prognostic feature. Risk assessment should focus on the tumour’s growth pattern, depth, perineural invasion and extent.

💡 The diagnosis is BCC.
The differentiation is the twist.
The growth pattern drives the risk.

Another morphology-first lesson for pathology trainees preparing for FRCPath, NEET-SS and advanced histopathology examinations.

What other “BCC mimics” would you like us to cover?

PilarDifferentiation Histopathology DermatopathologyTeaching FRCPath NEETSSPathology PathologyEducation
elearningfrcpath.com

elearningfrcpath.com

Recent advances for the MD Pathology exam 🧬

What if a melanoma vaccine could be made specifically for YOUR tumour?

Personalized neoantigen mRNA vaccines are bringing this concept closer to clinical reality.

The basic idea is fascinating:

🧬 Tumour sequencing identifies somatic mutations
🔬 RNA expression + HLA typing helps identify which mutations can actually be presented
🎯 Neoantigen prediction selects the most promising tumour-specific targets
💉 Personalized mRNA is designed to encode those neoantigens
🧫 T-cell activation generates an immune response directed against melanoma cells

Unlike a conventional vaccine targeting a shared tumour antigen, this approach aims to exploit the unique mutational landscape of an individual patient's cancer.

And melanoma is an ideal setting for this strategy because of its relatively high mutational burden and abundance of potential neoantigens.

The pathology takeaway?

The future pathologist needs to understand more than morphology.

Tumour sequencing → molecular alterations → neoantigens → HLA presentation → immunology → targeted therapy.

This is exactly the kind of recent advance that can turn up in an MD Pathology exam — and more importantly, in modern pathology practice.

Stay ahead. Study smart. Master Pathology.

Neoantigens mRNA PersonalizedMedicine MolecularPathology Immunotherapy Oncopathology MedicalEducation eLearningFRCPath.com

Another dream achieved. Another journey that makes us proud. 💙

Congratulations to Dr Shivani on qualifying for DM Oncopathology at Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Mullanpur (New Chandigarh), Punjab through the NEET-SS Pathology examination. 🏆

Her preparation with eLearningFRCPath included our Full Course for FRCPath Part 1 / NEET-SS Pathology — combining concepts, applied histopathology, exam-oriented practice and mock tests.

For us, this is bigger than a rank or a selection.

It is about building a strong pathology foundation that stays useful beyond the examination hall.

📚 500+ hours of recorded content
🎯 1000+ MCQs, EMQs & picture-based questions
🧠 Applied histopathology & systemic pathology
📝 FRCPath Part 1 + NEET-SS mock test preparation
♾️ Lifetime access

One course. Multiple goals.

To every pathology trainee preparing for the next big step: your destination may be different, but the formula remains the same—

Hard work. Right guidance. Big results.

Congratulations, Dr Shivani.
Your success is now part of our story. 💙

FRCPath MedicalEducation PathologyEducation NEETSSPathology Oncopathology MedicalPG PathologyResidents FuturePathologists
elearningfrcpath.com

THE FACES BEHIND eLEARNINGFRCPath™. 🔬

Before the platform. Before the courses. Before the community — there was a vision to make FRCPath Histopathology preparation better.

When resources were limited, Dr. Akshay Bali & Dr. Maitrayee Roy built what they wished they had as aspirants — structured learning, exam-focused preparation, and practical pathology knowledge.

From a platform to a mission, eLearningFRCPath™ continues to help pathologists learn, practice and excel.

Built by pathologists. For pathologists. With one goal — your success.

🎯 Your Success. Our Purpose.

🌐 elearningfrcpath.com

elearningfrcpath.com

FULL MOCK. AUTUMN 2026. FRCPATH PART 2.

The exam is getting closer.

And knowing pathology is only half the battle.

For Autumn 2026 FRCPath Part 2 Histopathology, you need to practise what the exam actually demands:

🔬 Write-ups under exam conditions
📝 Structured, exam-focused answers
🎯 Your work checked and marked
💬 Detailed individual feedback via WhatsApp
🎥 Live discussion of the mock on 27 September via Zoom

We are opening 4 slots, with a maximum of 5 candidates per slot:

📅 29 Aug – 3 Sep
📅 4 – 9 Sep
📅 10 – 15 Sep
📅 16 – 21 Sep

⚠️ Only 5 candidates per slot.
First come, first served.

If your preferred slot fills up, you may have to choose another.

This is not just another question bank.

Write. Get marked. Understand where you lose marks. Fix it before the real exam.

The Autumn 2026 exam is near.

Don’t wait until the exam hall to discover your weak points.

MedicalEducation FRCPathExam PathologyResidents HistopathologyExam eLearningFRCPath.com

What you are NOT reading — and nobody is teaching you.

🧠 MUCOSAL MELANOMA ≠ CUTANEOUS MELANOMA

One of the easiest traps in pathology exams:

Do NOT automatically apply Breslow thickness to mucosal melanoma.

For head & neck mucosal melanoma, the AJCC system does not use tumor thickness to define the T category. Instead, staging is driven by anatomic extent of invasion.

🔹 T3 — Tumor limited to mucosa and immediately underlying soft tissue
🔸 T4a — Extension into deep soft tissue, cartilage, bone or overlying skin
🔴 T4b — Very advanced disease involving critical structures such as brain, dura, skull base, carotid artery, prevertebral/masticator spaces or mediastinal structures.

And remember the exam pearl:

There are NO T1 or T2 categories for head & neck mucosal melanoma.

So when you see a mucosal melanoma:

❌ Don't start calculating Breslow thickness.
❌ Don't start assigning Clark level.
✅ Look at WHERE the tumor has invaded.

This is exactly the kind of small staging distinction that can separate a confident FRCPath answer from a wrong one.

What you are not reading and nobody is teaching you — series.

Because pathology isn't just about knowing the diagnosis.

It's about knowing what changes the diagnosis, prognosis and stage.

FRCPathPart2 Histopathology SurgicalPathology PathologyEducation Oncopathology eLearningFRCPath.com

Pathology Spotlight: Don’t Let the Parametrium Be an Afterthought

​Calling all pathology trainees and FRCPath candidates! Mastering gynecological cancer staging is essential for your exams and future practice.

​Let's break down this high-yield topic: FIGO Staging for Endometrial Carcinoma (Case of Endometroid Carcinoma Endometrium).

​This image presents a critical finding from the Right Parametrial Margin. You can clearly visualize the presence of Vascular Tumor Emboli (LVSI) within the lumen.

​Key Learning Point: Often, the parametrium is unsampled, yet its involvement is a significant staging up-shift.

​Look closely at the 'Crucial Parametrial Criteria' box. If you see 'Metastasis or direct spread to the va**na and/or the parametria,' which stage must be assigned? (Answer with the correct stage in the comments!).

​For more interactive cases like this, don’t miss out on the resources from eLearningFRCPath. Make sure to in the image to connect and stay ahead in your training.

​ PathologyResident MedEd FIGOStaging Histopathology
eLearningFRCPath.com

GET OVER PD-1. LAG-3 IS HERE. 🧬

For years, melanoma immunotherapy discussions have revolved around the PD-1/PD-L1 axis.

But T cells have more than one brake.

LAG-3, TIM-3, TIGIT and other inhibitory receptors can contribute to T-cell dysfunction within the tumour microenvironment—particularly affecting the ability of CD8+ T cells to mount an effective anti-tumour response.

That matters because ICI resistance is rarely a single-pathway story.

🔬 LAG-3 is now clinically targetable, with dual checkpoint blockade providing another strategy to overcome immune suppression in melanoma.

For pathologists, the important shift is from simply asking:

“Is PD-L1 positive?”

to asking:

“What is happening to the T cell?”

→ Are TILs present?
→ Are CD8+ cells actually infiltrating tumour?
→ Are multiple inhibitory receptors expressed?
→ Is the immune microenvironment inflamed, excluded or cold?
→ Which molecular pathways are driving the tumour?

This is where morphology, IHC, molecular pathology and immuno-oncology converge.

The next generation of pathology isn't just about identifying the tumour.

It's about understanding the tumour–immune ecosystem.

📚 Stay ahead. Learn beyond the textbook.

Join our courses for FRCPath & NEETSS Pathology and keep up with the rapidly evolving world of molecular pathology and cancer immunology.

PDL1 ImmuneCheckpoint TILs CD8 MolecularPathology Oncopathology FRCPath NEETSS PathologyEducation MedicalEducation eLearningFRCPath.com