What does a Surgical Pathologist actually do?

Here, you will get the chance to glimpse the pathologist in action, how we work together with the multidisciplinary team of health professionals to manage patients. The pathologist’s role lies mostly in making the diagnosis on tissue samples, as well as in providing important information for the managing team, e.g. prognostic information on malignant specimens. This can be performed by evaluating both small biopsies as well as large resection specimens. 

Here are some examples of how a pathologist would evaluation real life cases – up to the point of the final pathology diagnosis. 

For example, in tumours that are resected, the first step is examining the gross specimen – inspecting, describing, measuring and sampling important areas. Thereafter, microscopic examination is performed, and a pathology report is written. From this report, the clinical team gleans important prognostic and treatment-related information, which helps them to proceed to the next step of management.  

Warning: Some of the pictures and videos are quite graphic as they are actual representations of cases. 

Click on the pictures below to view the real life cases:

1. Colon 

2. Breast 

3. Kidney carcinoma 

4. Thyroid carcinoma