Diagnosis > Pathology and Cancer

Pathology and Cancer

Board-certified pathologists experienced in diagnosing and staging all types of cancer play a critical role in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

The Pathology Laboratory provides an array of blood and tissue analyses. When necessary, it arranges for testing at specialized laboratories. The hospital's immunohistochemistry laboratory also analyzes tumors for hormone receptors and HER2/neu protein receptors in breast cancer and other tumors. These analyses are used as standard tests for some cancers and as adjunctive tests to make a more precise diagnosis.

Pathologists help confirm a suspected diagnosis of cancer by examining tissue removed during surgery or less invasive, image-directed biopsy procedures. They also use imaging studies such as x-rays, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging to determine the location and extent of the cancer.

The highly skilled staff includes dermatopathologists (pathologists trained in pathology of skin diseases and tumors). Pathologists and oncologists are linked electronically via a pathology microscope imaging system that allows them to view pathology slides at the same time. The system is also used at the weekly Tumor Board led by Richard Eisen, MD, a board-certified surgical pathologist.

Grade and Stage
A cancer's grade reflects how abnormal the cells appear under a microscope. The higher the grade, the more abnormal the cells, indicating a potentially more aggressive cancer.

Staging determines how much cancer exists and where the harmful cells are located. As part of the staging process, pathologists determine the exact size of the tumor and whether the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes or to distant areas of the body.

Grading and staging help oncologists to develop an appropriate treatment plan for a specific cancer. Cancers caught at an early stage generally require less aggressive treatments than more advanced cases.