Category Archives: FAQs

Pathology Reports: Questions and Answers Key Points A pathology report is a document that contains the diagnosis determined by examining cells and tissues under a microscope (see Question 1). Frozen sections of a tissue sample are done when an immediate … Continue reading →

Question: What is a pathology report? Answer: A pathology report is a document that contains the diagnosis determined by examining cells and tissues under a microscope. The report may also contain information about the size, shape, and appearance of a … Continue reading →

Question: Can a pathologist locate abnormalities in my DNA? Answer: There are some tests that help to locate DNA abnormalities. Much more work, however, needs to be done to further clarify what DNA abnormalities mean.

Question: How many different cancers are there? What are they called? Answer: Cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases that have some important things in common. Cancer cells are abnormal and divide without control or order. These … Continue reading →

Question: What sort of training does a pathologist have? Answer: A pathologist always has an M.D. degree and, in many cases, additional degrees, such as Ph.D. At the time of surgery the surgeon often waits for the diagnosis from the … Continue reading →

Question: Can the diagnosis for cancer be made with a blood sample? Answer: In some cases, for example, leukemia, the diagnosis is made from blood. There are a few cancers in which blood tests are helpful in diagnosis (prostate cancer). … Continue reading →

Question: Do pathologists ever speak with the patient? Answer: Yes, they do.

Question: What is a surgical pathology report? Answer: The surgical pathology report identifies the tissue sample as belonging to a specific patient and details the diagnosis.