Once your tissue has been stained, it's ready for microscopic review and diagnosis by a pathologist.
Upon reviewing the slides, the pathologist correlates the microscopic findings with the gross findings, and determines if any additional studies are required to be able to make a final diagnosis.
Additional testing is often needed to help determine the specific origin of a tumour, the grade or hormone status of a tumour, what type of bacteria is present, etc. They might also order molecular or cytogenetic studies to determine the genetic changes that have occurred.
When all the testing is completed, a pathologist will render a final pathology report to the clinician, who then determines the final patient care plan.
So as you can see, pathology plays a vital role in patient care and works closely with surgeons, oncologists, radiologists and other practitioners in your care.
