What should you look for in a pathology report?

The most important report after the surgery for cancer is the pathology report. Many patients in India have never met a pathologist. A pathologist is a doctor who specializes in looking at cells to identify disease. He is the most important link in the treatment of cancers of the intestine.

First, the pathologist will prepare the tissue to be looked at under a microscope. The tissue will be covered in a waxy material and cut into very thin slices. The slices will then be stained with dyes to help see the differences between parts of a single cell and differences between multiple cells. These stained samples will be placed on glass slides and then examined under a microscope. The reports are usually titled as Histopathology reports

The following infromation will be available in your pathology results

1. Tumor grade. How closely do the cancer cells look like normal cells?
2. Histologic subtype. What type of cancer is it based on the traits of the cells
3. Tumor depth. How far into the wall has the tumor grown? This is only for cancers arising from the intestinal parts.
4. Tumor extension.How far has the tumor grown into nearby tissues?
5. Lymph node evaluation. How many nearby lymph nodes were tested for cancer? This tells the doctor how good the surgery for removing the cancer has been performed. It is also indicative of how diligent the pathologist is in picking up the nodes.
6. Positive lymph nodes. How many nearby lymph nodes had cancer?
7. Margin status.Are there cancer cells in the normal-looking tissue near the tumor?
8. Tumor deposits. Are there tiny tumors where the lymph drains from the tumor?
9. Lymphovascular invasion.Has the cancer invaded lymph or blood vessels?
10. Perineural invasion.Has the cancer invaded nearby nerves?

 This is the most important document of your cancer treatment. Preserve this document as long as you live. Every decision hinges on this.