patients

Intraductal pancreatic mucinous neoplasm (IPMN)

Intraductal pancreatic mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) is a non-cancerous type of pancreatic tumour. Although this type of tumour is considered non-cancerous, it has the potential to change into a type of pancreatic cancer called adenocarcinoma over time. The risk of developing cancer is higher for tumours that arise in the main pancreatic duct and for those …
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Basal cell adenocarcinoma of the salivary glands

Basal cell adenocarcinoma is a rare type of salivary gland cancer. Compared to other types of salivary gland cancer, it is slow-growing and has less chance of spreading to lymph nodes or other body parts. However, it can still grow and invade nearby tissues, so early diagnosis and treatment are important. Most basal cell adenocarcinomas …
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T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL)

This article is designed to help you understand your pathology report for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Each section explains an important aspect of the diagnosis and what it means for you. What is T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia? T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a type of cancer caused by immature T cells, a kind of …
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Understanding your pathology report

A pathology report is a medical document that describes the examination of tissues, cells, or fluids taken during a medical procedure such as a biopsy, Pap test, or surgery. It includes details about the tests performed and often provides a diagnosis—a medical explanation for what was found. A pathologist, a doctor specialising in diagnosing diseases …
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Tumour bed

In pathology, the term tumour bed describes an area of the body where a tumour was located before it was removed by surgery or treated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or hormone therapy. It is important to examine the tumour bed because it can show how much of the tumour was killed by the treatment and …
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Focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver

What is focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver? Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is a noncancerous type of growth in the liver. It is much more common in young women and it rarely occurs in men or children. What causes focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver? At the present time, we do not completely understand what …
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Next-generation sequencing (NGS)

What is next-generation sequencing? Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a way of finding out the order of the letters in DNA or RNA, the genetic material inside our cells. DNA and RNA are made of four different letters: A, C, G, and T for DNA, and A, C, G, and U for RNA. The order of …
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Hepatocytes

A hepatocyte is a type of cell found in the liver. They are very active and versatile cells that help to keep the body healthy and balanced. Hepatocytes can also regenerate when they are damaged or lost. The functions of a hepatocyte include: Making proteins needed for blood clotting, transporting substances, and fighting infections. Storing carbohydrates …
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Cyclin D1

Cyclin D1 is part of a family of proteins called cyclins. All cyclins are cell cycle regulators, meaning they help determine when a cell can divide (to create two new cells). Cyclins can be further broken down into multiple families and subtypes. These all work in slightly different ways, but they all push cells to …
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Smooth muscle actin (SMA)

SMA stands for smooth muscle actin, a type of protein found inside certain cells in the body. It plays an important role in helping cells move and maintain their shape. There are different types of actin proteins, but alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) is the type most commonly used in pathology testing. Pathologists use SMA …
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