Step out of Mistakes and "Rectify Disorders" for the Pathology Department

There is a group of doctors who do not appear in the operating room but directly determine the surgeon's next surgical plan; They are not detectives, but they capture "clues" every day to find evidence for convicting "criminals"... They are little-known pathologists. So, what are the misconceptions about treating pathological reports?

Pathology Department

Myth 1: Pathology and laboratory departments are both engaged in laboratory testing

Most people may have this kind of emotional understanding, but pathologists are very "unfair". Due to the fact that the pathology department, like the laboratory department, is mainly responsible for taking samples from patients and conducting a series of examinations before issuing reports. But the biggest difference between pathology and laboratory is that the latter produces a series of project data through the operation of various instruments and equipment for clinical doctors to diagnose and reference, and does not make a clear diagnosis of a certain disease itself; Pathology, on the other hand, relies more on the pathologist's brain rather than instruments to produce a clear diagnostic report through a series of pathological examinations.

Myth 2: Pathological reports are the "gold standard" and cannot be mistaken

Pathological examination has become the "gold standard" for medical diagnosis. Due to the subjectivity of pathological diagnosis, different experts in the same case may have different opinions, and even the same expert may give different opinions at different times. Due to the shortage of pathologists, general hospitals do not divide pathologists into sub specialties, and a pathologist must be familiar with diseases in various parts and organs from head to toe. Moreover, different diseases may have similar morphological changes, and the same disease may exhibit different forms. Therefore, when encountering rare, difficult, or rare cases, pathologists should search for literature and seek consultation to avoid misdiagnosis.

Myth 3: Pathological diagnosis is very simple, only diagnosing the benign and malignant nature of the tumor

When a patient suffers from a tumor, the most important thing is to determine whether the tumor is benign or malignant. At this time, pathological examination is very urgent, but is pathological examination only used to determine these? In fact, in addition to benign and malignant tumors, there is also a "gray" zone between benign and malignant. Some tumors cannot be well distinguished as benign or malignant under existing medical conditions, and can only be described by the level of risk. Those with high risk have a higher rate of recurrence and metastasis, while those with low risk have a lower rate.

Myth 4: Accurate pathological diagnosis can be made solely by looking at slices

Reading pathological sections is indeed an important part of pathological diagnosis. To make a correct pathological diagnosis, pathologists must refer to detailed relevant information and carefully inquire about medical history in order to make a definite diagnosis. The more detailed and reliable the materials provided by clinical doctors, the more accurate the pathological diagnosis will be. The current promotion of a diagnostic model that combines clinical, imaging, and pathology is to abandon the outdated thinking of only looking at pathological sections without combining them with clinical practice.

Myth 5: Rapid pathology is equivalent to routine pathology

Rapid pathology "refers to the rapid pathological examination of a patient's diseased tissue during surgery to determine the nature of the lesion and determine the next surgical plan. It is generally completed within 30 minutes from receiving the pathological specimen to issuing the report. Check the surgical margin for residual tumor tissue, understand the spread of tumor cells, and confirm the removed tissue.