A special stain is a specialized test pathologists use to examine tissue samples more closely. While the most common stain used by pathologists is called hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), sometimes additional details are needed that this standard stain cannot reveal. Special stains involve applying specific coloured dyes to tissue samples, highlighting particular cells, microorganisms, or …
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A margin is the cut edge of a piece of tissue removed during a procedure. After a tumor is removed, the pathologist checks whether any tumor cells reach the edge. The result helps your care team decide whether the tumor was completely removed and whether you need more treatment. A margin is something the pathologist …
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A resection is a surgical procedure performed to remove an area of abnormal tissue such as a tumour from the body. A resection usually removes all of the abnormal tissue plus some surrounding normal tissue. The tissue removed is called a specimen and the cut edge of the tissue is called the margin. This type …
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In pathology, a specimen is any sample taken from your body and sent to a laboratory for examination by a pathologist. Specimens can vary widely in size and type, from small samples of tissue to entire organs or even bodily fluids like blood or urine. Examining specimens is essential for diagnosing and understanding many different …
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A biopsy is a medical procedure in which a small piece of tissue or a sample of cells is removed from the body for examination under a microscope. Pathologists use biopsies to diagnose a wide range of conditions, including cancer, infections, and inflammatory diseases. Examining cells and tissues closely enables pathologists to detect changes that …
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The Pathology Dictionary provides simple, patient-friendly definitions of the most common words and phrases used in pathology reports. Each entry explains the term in plain language and how pathologists use it. The dictionary currently includes over 600 terms, covering everything from basic concepts like biopsy and malignant to specialized tests like immunohistochemistry and FISH. For …
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MyPathologyReport.com is an internationally recognized, not-for-profit educational resource created by pathologists to help patients and families understand their pathology reports and laboratory test results. The site is visited by people from around the world who rely on it as a clear, accurate, and trustworthy source of medical information. This page explains who we are, what …
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This section includes detailed diagnosis guides designed to help you understand the findings in your pathology report. Each article explains a specific diagnosis, including how it is made and which features in your report may affect treatment or prognosis. If you are looking for a simple definition of a medical term rather than a full …
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Biomarkers are measurable features in found cancer cells—including specific proteins, gene mutations, and other molecular changes—that tell doctors important things about a cancer: what type it is, how it is likely to behave, and which treatments are most likely to work. Biomarker and genetic testing have become one of the most important parts of modern …
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