Osler is a free virtual guide on MyPathologyReport that helps you understand your laboratory results in plain language. Osler can explain pathology reports, blood tests, infection tests, and biomarker and genetic test results. Osler builds its answers from articles on this website, which are written and reviewed by pathologists and other laboratory medicine specialists. This …
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A colonoscopy is the most common procedure for examining the large intestine, which includes the colon and rectum. During a colonoscopy, your doctor may remove tissue samples or entire growths from the lining of the colon and send them to a pathology laboratory for examination. The resulting pathology report describes what was found and can …
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Triple-negative breast cancer is breast cancer that tests negative for three proteins: ER, PR, and HER2. It makes up about 10% to 15% of all breast cancers. The name describes test results, not a specific cancer type. Pathologists test every invasive breast cancer for these three proteins. The results guide treatment. This article explains how …
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The epidermis is the thin, outermost layer of your skin. It acts as a protective shield between your body and the outside world. Although it is only about as thick as a sheet of paper in most places, the epidermis plays a crucial role in preventing harmful germs, chemicals, and physical forces from damaging your …
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In pathology, a contaminant refers to tissue or cells that mistakenly become included within a patient’s tissue sample during the laboratory process. Unlike a floater, which accidentally appears only on a microscope slide, a contaminant is embedded directly into the patient’s paraffin tissue block. As a result, contaminants repeatedly appear each time additional slides (recuts) …
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In pathology, a floater refers to a small piece of tissue or cells seen on a microscope slide that does not belong to the patient’s original specimen. Floaters typically occur by accident during the preparation of slides in the pathology laboratory. For example, they can happen when tiny fragments of tissue from one sample inadvertently …
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In pathology, the term “nonviable” describes tissue or cells that are no longer alive or able to function normally. Nonviable tissue cannot be accurately examined or tested because it has become damaged or has died, meaning pathologists cannot reliably interpret results from it. What could cause a sample to be nonviable? A sample may become …
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A neuroendocrine tumor (NET) of the larynx is an uncommon type of cancer that develops from neuroendocrine cells. These specialized cells are found throughout the body, receive signals from the nervous system, and respond by releasing hormones into the bloodstream. Small numbers of them are normally present in the lining of the larynx, the voice …
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Keratinizing refers to a process in which squamous cells produce large amounts of a protein called keratin. Keratin is a tough, protective substance that makes tissues more resistant to injury, infection, and dehydration. As squamous cells become keratinizing, they gradually lose their ability to function as living cells. Instead, they form a strong outer layer …
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