Pathology - North East and Yorkshire Genomic Medicine Service North East and Yorkshire Genomic Medicine Service

Pathology

Cellular Pathology (also known as Histopathology) is the study of diseases of organs and tissues. It underpins all aspects of a patient’s care from diagnosis, to personalised treatment, and the ongoing monitoring of a patient’s condition. Cellular pathology is key to the analysis of tumour tissue and diagnosis of cancer.

Rapid advances in genomics are influencing tumour testing in Cellular Pathology in many ways.

Genomics is enabling more precise diagnosis, treatment, and risk prediction of cancers. The work of the histopathologist now regularly includes integrating both a study of the tissue and also genomic information to inform multidisciplinary team clinical decisions.

Genomics and pathology are revolutionising the way we approach care for patients with a family history of cancer and can help us to select the treatment most likely to work for an individual.

Pathologists use genomic medicine in their work every day:

Cellular Pathologists (Histopathologists and Cytopathologists) will examine tumour tissue, to understand where genomic testing (molecular Pathology) may help with diagnosis or sub-typing of that tumour, inform clinical teams about the likely prognosis (risk) for that tumour and the optimum (targeted or precision) tumour treatment based on that examination.
The integrated examination and genomic results will be discussed at a Multidisciplinary clinical team meeting to combine information from other specialties, for example radiology, before a recommendation can be made to the patient about their next treatment options.