Margin

In pathology, a margin is the edge of a tissue that is cut when removing a tumour from the body. The margins described in a pathology report are very important because they tell you if the entire tumour was removed or if some of the tumour was left behind. The margin status will determine what (if any) additional treatment you may require.

Do all pathology reports describe margins?

Most pathology reports only describe margins after a surgical procedure called an excision or resection has been performed to remove the entire tumour. For this reason, margins are not usually described after a procedure called a biopsy is performed to remove only part of the tumour. The number of margins described in a pathology report depends on the types of tissues removed and the location of the tumour. The size of the margin (the amount of normal tissue between the tumour and the cut edge) depends on the type of tumour being removed and the location of the tumour.

What does a negative margin mean?

A negative margin means that no tumour cells were seen at the cut edge of the tissue sample. A negative margin is important because it means that no tumour cells were left in that area of your body when the surgical procedure was performed to remove the tumour.

What does a positive margin mean?

A positive margin means that tumour cells were seen at the cut edge of the tissue sample. A positive margin is important because it suggests that tumour cells may have been left in your body during the surgical procedure performed to remove the tumour.

Why is a positive margin important?

A positive (or very close) margin is important because it means that tumour cells may have been left behind in your body when the tumour was surgically removed. For this reason, patients who have a positive margin may be offered another surgery to remove the rest of the tumour or radiation therapy to the area of the body with the positive margin. The decision to offer additional treatment and the type of treatment options offered will depend on a variety of factors, including the type of tumour removed and the area of the body involved. For example, additional treatment may not be necessary for a benign (non-cancerous) type of tumour but may be strongly advised for a malignant (cancerous) type of tumour.

What does it mean if my pathology report says the tumour was incompletely excised?

Incompletely excised means that only part of the tumour was removed from the body. Pathologists describe a tumour as being incompletely excised when tumour cells are seen at the margin. It is normal for a tumour to be incompletely excised after a small procedure such as a biopsy because these procedures are usually not performed to remove the entire tumour. However, larger procedures such as excisions and resections are usually performed to remove the entire tumour. If a tumour is incompletely excised, your doctor may recommend another procedure to remove the rest of the tumour.

About this article

This article was written by doctors to help you read and understand your pathology report. Contact us if you have questions about this article or your pathology report. For a complete introduction to your pathology report, read this article.