Today ( 5 November ) is International Pathology Day.





Pathology is vital for the prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of many of the leading causes of disease.


Medically qualified pathologists, scientists and other laboratory professionals also play a vital role in public health - defining disease patterns in populations ; keeping cancer registries ; lowering rates of medical errors and infections ; improving overall quality of healthcare.


Pathology services provide most ( ¾ ) of all diagnoses used for clinical decisions, using only 2% of global healthcare spending. Diagnosis and treatment of disease across the globe depends on pathology !

Pathologists don’t work in isolation – but with teams of other health professionals including surgeons, radiologists, cancer specialists and nurses, to ensure treatment is correct for each patient.


Training to become a pathologist takes at least 12 years after leaving school - it involves becoming a doctor and then specialising in one of the many branches of laboratory medicine.


• Cellular pathology includes histopathology ( microscopic study and diagnosis from tissues – biopsies/samples, and surgically removed ) and cytopathology ( looking at cells, for example from cervical smears ).

A " test result " requires human skills, not just machines ! This forms the majority of most pathologists’ work and is needed for diagnosis, not only of cancers but also many other conditions ( including Rayna's gallbladder ! ).


• Post mortem examinations - a small proportion of pathologists' work ) are mostly for legal purposes but also to learn more about disease processes and establish cause(s) of death.


• Microbiology – infectious diseases ( diagnosis of tuberculosis, malaria, ebola and many others ).


• Haematology – blood diseases like leukaemia, and blood transfusion.


• Clinical biochemistry / chemical pathology – body chemistry like electrolytes, glucose for diabetes, and cholesterol measurements. These are done by machine but require human interpretation.


• Immunology – study and diagnosis of " host defences " ( antibodies ) which help in treatment and checking if vaccines have worked.


• Genetics – study of inheritance, chances of acquiring diseases and DNA analysis ( for clinical and legal purposes ).