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Findthedoctors.info gives the information about Pathologist who is near to you Pathology: Pathology is the study and diagnosis of disease through examination of organs, tissues, bodily fluids, and whole bodies (autopsies). Pathology also encompasses the related scientific study of disease processes, called general pathology. Medical pathology is divided into two main branches, anatomical pathology and clinical pathology. General pathology, also called investigative pathology, experimental pathology, or theoretical pathology, is a broad and complex scientific field which seeks to understand the mechanisms of injury to cells and tissues, as well as the body's means of responding to and repairing injury. Areas of study include cellular adaptation to injury, necrosis, inflammation, wound healing, and neoplasia. It forms the foundation of pathology, the application of this knowledge to diagnose diseases in humans and animals. The term 'general pathology' is also used to describe the practice of both anatomical and clinical pathology. Pathologists are doctors who diagnose and characterize disease in living patients by examining biopsies or bodily fluids. In addition, pathologists interpret medical laboratory tests to help prevent illness or monitor a chronic condition. The vast majority of cancer diagnoses are made by pathologists. Pathologists examine tissue biopsies to determine if they are benign or cancerous. Some pathologists specialize in genetic testing that can, for example, determine the most appropriate treatment for particular types of cancer. In addition, a pathologist analyzes blood samples from a patient's annual physical and alerts their primary care physician to any changes in their health early, when successful treatment is most likely. Pathologists also review results of tests ordered or performed by specialists, such as blood tests ordered by a cardiologist, a biopsy of a skin lesion removed by a dermatologist, or a Pap test performed by a gynecologist, to detect abnormalities. Pathologists work with other doctors, medical specialty societies, medical laboratory professionals, and health care consumer organizations to set guidelines and standards for medical laboratory testing that help improve a patient's medical care and guide treatment, as well as ensure the quality and safety of domestic and international medical laboratories. Pathologists may also conduct autopsies to investigate causes of death. Autopsy results can aid living patients by revealing a hereditary disease unknown to a patient's family. Pathology is a core discipline of medical school and many pathologists are also teachers. As managers of medical laboratories (which include chemistry, microbiology, cytology, the blood bank, etc.), pathologists play an important role in the development of laboratory information systems. Although the medical practice of pathology grew out of the tradition of investigative pathology, most modern pathologists do not perform original research. Pathology is a unique medical specialty. Pathology touches all of medicine, as diagnosis is the foundation of all patient care. In fact, more than 70 percent of all decisions about diagnosis and treatment, hospital admission, and discharge rest on medical test results. Pathologists play a critical role on the patient care team, working with other doctors to treat patients and guide care. To be licensed, candidates must complete medical training, an approved residency program, and be certified by an appropriate body. What do Pathologists do? The reality is less exhausting but just as interesting! Pathology, although literally meaning 'the study of disease', is a branch of clinical medicine with three important components: • Histopathology • Cytology • Autopsies To this, one could also add research and teaching. So, what are these? Well, I'll deal with them one at a time... Histopathology Histopathology is the diagnosis of disease by studying tissue samples (histology). These range from tiny biopsies (for instance, from someone's stomach taken by endoscopy) to organs removed at an operation (e.g. a colon containing a cancer). From these specimens, we select areas to take sections from, which are stained and examined under a microscope. This is the major part of most pathologist's job. We're the people who tell other doctors what disease their patient has, whether it is benign (nice) or malignant (nasty), and whether or not it is out. Very few diagnoses of cancer are made without our help, and we play an essential role in deciding the correct treatment for an individual patient. To put it another way - the buck stops here! Cytology Cytology is the diagnosis of disease from individual cells, such as cervical smears or fluid from cysts. This is much faster to perform than histology, but has more limited diagnostic abilities: generally, cytology is used as a rapid screening test to determine whether something is malignant or not, with further biopsy being used to get a definitive, histological diagnosis. Autopsies Autopsies are performed in two situations: at the request of clinicians (with relatives' consent) to determine the cause of death, and to see whether the correct diagnosis was made in life and the appropriate treatment given, and at the request of the Coroner, if a death is suspicious or the cause cannot be ascertained (for instance, the deceased had not recently been seen by a doctor). The second case is by far the more common these days.
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