Surgical Pathology
Good medical practice requires a tissue diagnosis prior to planning and initiating therapy.
The field of surgical pathology evaluates tissues removed from living patients during surgery or other types of invasive procedures in order to:
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Diagnose a disease and aid in the development of a treatment plan
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Provide information regarding prognosis such as:
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Status of surgical margins (complete or incomplete removal of disease)
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Size and extent of disease, including tumor invasion into adjacent structures
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Tumor grade (well, moderately, or poorly differentiated)
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Presence of metastasis to regional lymph nodes or distant organs
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