Pathology and Your Health
Pathologists are committed to ensuring you get the right diagnosis and accurate test results.
When your doctor biopsies your skin, he or she sends it to a pathologist, a specialist with deep expertise diagnosing diseases such as skin cancer. By looking at cells from your biopsy under the microscope, and by considering other factors in your medical history, the pathologist issues your pathology report.
In our “Ask a Pathologist” series, Leilani Valdes, MD, FCAP, a pathologist with a subspecialty in dermatologic pathology, answers questions from patients about diagnosing diseases such as skin cancer.
When you receive a diagnosis, it can be a scary, confusing, often overwhelming experience. As pathologists, we want you to have the information you need to ask the right questions and participate fully in your care.
Pathologists are medical doctors who combine a scientist’s understanding of testing with a specialty physician’s knowledge of laboratory medicine to determine the correct diagnosis. As critical members of your health care team, accuracy and laboratory quality matter to us because your health depends on it.
Pathologists impact nearly all aspects of patient care, from diagnosis to managing chronic diseases through accurate laboratory testing. Often, we guide primary care and other doctors, determining the right test, at the right time, for the right patient.
Pathologists are critical members of your health care team. By examining tissue and body fluids, pathologists inform your diagnosis and can make recommendations to help you prevent illnesses and maintain your health. Learn more about pathology and how medicine benefits from the services of a pathologist.
Pathologists diagnose all types of medical conditions by studying specimens such as polyps and biopsies and by using molecular biology and genetics. Learn more about your diagnosis from how to read a pathology report to the journey of a tissue sample. Learn more about your diagnosis from how to read a pathology report to the journey of a tissue sample, starting with the Ask a Pathologist video series.
Stay up to date on the latest news surrounding pathology and your health care.
Pathologists impact nearly all aspects of patient care, from diagnosis to offering recommendations for managing chronic diseases. Hear from other patients about their experience with their pathologists. You are invited to share your story about your personal experience with your pathologist.
