INTERVIEWS


INTERVIEW WITH DR. DENNIS FRISMAN





ImmunoQuery is the most popular and helpful web site in the profession of a pathologist. It has a huge number of data, it is easy to handle and provide complete and useful answers on the immunohistochemical technique. And, with a litlle of experience, sometimes, one might also find suggestion for unexpected diagnoses.
Who is Dennis Frisman? How and where does he work and update his web site?
We interviewed him for you!

Dell'Antonio: Which are your main fields of interest?
Frisman: My main field of interest is anatomic pathology with emphasis on immunohistochemistry applications and cytology.
Dell'Antonio: What is the reason that moved you in creating this website?
Frisman: I originally created an immunohistochemistry database for myself to keep abreast of the literature. As the chief of the immunohistochemistry division at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C., I felt that it was important to be up-to-date on the tumor staining patterns of the immunostains used by the pathology staff. 
I have had previous experience in database development for information systems, and applied this knowledge toward the development of this database. When the internet became popular, even among physicians, and dynamic pages became easy to develop through programs like Cold Fusion, it afforded me the opportunity to offer the database to the public.
Dell'Antonio: When did you have the idea for your website?
Frisman: I have had the idea for the website for about 12 years.
Dell'Antonio: Have you any kind of collaboration? How many people collaborate with you in the gestion of the site?
Frisman: ImmunoQuery is essentially a solo effort. I add the data and write the programs that offer the data to the internet users.  A few companies have shown interest in sponsoring ImmunoQuery to cover the cost of web hosting, software, and hardware but the all of the development comes from me.
Dell'Antonio: How much does it take you to look after your website?
Frisman: Everyday I am monitoring my website for new users to add to the database.  Also I monitor for errors.  I like to check what kind of queries my users are doing, trying to get a feel of what immunostains and tumor diagnoses are important to pathologists in general.  I usually spend a few hours per day monitoring the site.  I do like to travel, so thank goodness for internet cafes!!
Dell'Antonio: How do you update your data?
Frisman: I try to dissect the most important American journals on a routine basis, such as American Journal of Surgical Pathology, Modern Pathology, and Human Pathology.  Articles from other journals are added as I hear about them.  I generally read the articles, check the methods section to ensure that standard methods are used, and dissect out the raw data from the results section.  I code the diagnoses and immunostains and manually add the information, as well as the reference, to the database.  I wrote a program that helps me do this.
Dell'Antonio: Do you work at the website in your hospital or at home?
Frisman: Both...usually I work on the data after I am done my service work at the hospitals and laboratories and at home on the weekends.  Program development occurs at home.
Dell'Antonio: How many people are registered and how many visit your site daily?
Frisman: Currently I have about 19,000 registered users.  I have about 800 visitors each day (both registered and unregistered) and 600 queries performed per day.
Dell'Antonio: There will be improvements in your website (for example photos, datasheets of Ab)?
Frisman: I am always looking for ways to improve the website, both in ease of use and quality and quantity of the information. I imagine there are already many good images on the web. I would like to be able to link to these images.
Dell'Antonio: Do you think in the future to open a similar website for genomics and proteomics?
Frisman: I would very much like to collaborate with people who have the data for the genomics and preteomics studies, and I would gladly apply my website model to that data.  This is the future of diagnostics.
Dell'Antonio: Do you receive grants?
Frisman: I receive a sponsorship from Dakocytomation which helps allay some of the cost of running the website. In return, I give their company a link on my website, as well as links of many of their immunostains queried on my website directly to their ordersheets.
Dell'Antonio: Do you know that your website is not only visit for diagnostic purposes but even for teaching ones?
Frisman: One of my main goals for ImmunoQuery is to provide education.  Of course, the database is helpful diagnostically, however it does not take into account histology and clinical history, and hence cannot be a complete diagnostic tool within itself.
Dell'Antonio: What do you think about internet and pathology?
Frisman: I think that the internet is important to any field of study.  There is no collection of knowledge as vast as the internet.  Sometimes I obtain more information related to my practice from using a search engine on the web than a Medline search.  Of course, you have to be able to sift the good information from the bad.
Dell'Antonio: Do you use telepathology?
Frisman: Currently no, although I think that telepathology is an important tool for many pathologists... especially those that are isolated in their practices.
Dell'Antonio: Do you know Italy? And what do you think (sincerely) about italian people and particularly about italian pathologist?
Frisman: I have been to Italy about 5 years ago- Rome, Siena, Florence, and Venice.  Italy is a beautiful country and I found the people very friendly.  I definitely plan to go back.  The Italian pathologists were the first people outside the United States, as a whole, to discover ImmunoQuery and actively use it.  I find that quite impressive when you start comparing pathologist populations in different countries. 
Italian pathologists are quite a progressive and impressive group of practitioners.  And then, of course, you have Dr. Rosai... need I say more.
Dell'Antonio: Did you visit our web site  www.agpam.org ? If yes, what do you think about it?
Frisman: I have visited your site, as well as many other pathology group sites.  To tell you the truth, I do not go to pathology group sites very often, even from my own country.  I think your site is well designed and easy to navigate...although many pages have not been anglicized yet.

Fortunately with your interview we will not have this problem!