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Pathology as a Much Maligned Specialty is Not

Several studies have shown that the specialty of pathology tends to attract intuitive, detail-oriented introverts who appreciate the emphasis on intellectual ability and the lack of direct patient contact.” H.L. Mencken said, “What animates a great pathologist? Is it the desire to cure disease, to save life? Surely not, save perhaps as an afterthought. He is too intelligent, deep in his soul, to see anything praiseworthy in such a desire. He knows from life-long observation that his discoveries will do quite as much harm as good, that a thousand scoundrels will profit to every honest man, that the folks who most deserve to be saved will probably be the last to be saved. … What actually…

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 The Diagnostic Detectives of the Future

Without the professionals in Pathology, medicine would stand still. In the clinical arena, over 70% of a patient’s medical record is data and interpretations generated by the medical laboratory professionals working in Pathology.

 The Digital Future Of Pathology

Although the whole edifice of medicine rests on the pathologist’s diagnosis, the field has not experienced any significant change for the last 150 years; said Thomas Fuchs, Director of Computational Pathology Lab at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center... “Approximately 90 percent of the work is still done on various stains with methodologies that doctors came up with more than a hundred years ago.” – he added. Although there has been some significant progress in the field... this field is still notoriously manual-labour intensive. The entire process of analysing stains is highly subjective and could signify a cumbersome process. For example, in the case of a prostate biopsy, pathologists have to scrutinize around 48 slides. Also, the results depend on the specialty, the personal judgment and, more often than not, even on the mental state of the pathologist – lowering the levels of accuracy.

 The Future Belongs to Digital Pathology

Advances in artificial intelligence are slowly transforming the specialty, much the way radiology is being transformed by similar advances in digital technology. Any patient who faces a potential cancer diagnosis knows how important an accurate, timely pathology report is. Similarly, surgeons often require fast pathology results when they are performing a delicate procedure to determine their course of action during an operation. New technological developments are poised to meet the needs of patients and clinicians alike.

Articles of Interest

A brief history of pathology

There is no single event, no ‘Big Bang’, that demarcates the beginning of pathology as a defined area of interest for early medical practitioners. In fact, the history of pathology has roots in common with all other medical specialties, arising in antiquity when men reasoned about the physical ailments that afflicted them. For obvious reasons, those gross features of disease that were directly visible, either in life, or after death in funereal preparations, came first to notice.

From The Lab To The Digital Age: How Digital Pathology Is A New Frontier In Medical Innovation

Pathology is the study of disease — its causes, effects and very nature. Studying disease is a very broad discipline that involves a wide range of scientists and medical professionals. Pathologists, in particular, focus on analyzing samples and running tests in the lab in order to provide important diagnostic information to patients and their doctors. The most familiar image of a pathologist is probably one of them hunched over a microscope studying a slide with a blood or tissue sample on it.

Pathology 2.0 – Nine Years Later

Outside of sharing cases and commentaries the other significant trend of Pathology 2.0 is the use of social media to share not only specific cases and institutional photos but also to share what one sees at meetings and conferences.

Pathology, Problem Solving, and Public Health

My interest in pathology (the study of disease) and public health specifically came from seeing my family members - my mom wit Lupus, my father with Diabetes, classmates in my public school with Sickle Cell disease - and community rattled with illnesses while also struggling with economic and public health disparities that limit their ability to fix those issues. I was also influenced by my brother’s , Dr. Bobby Portis II (2021), initial interest in pathology. As 5 years my senior, he’s been my main influence for most of my life and he must be credited for introducing me to the term (pathology) and idea, though his preferred toolkit has always been Chemistry.

Surviving Pathology Residency: Advice from 1st Year to 4th Year Residents

The rate of burnout among pathology residents quoted in one study was found to be as high as 52.5%1 In my experience, I think there is no doubt that every pathology resident will feel at least some degree of stress or fatigue during their residency—I certainly did several times during residency.

The current troubled state of the global pathology workforce: a concise review

The histopathology workforce is a cornerstone of cancer diagnostics and is essential to the delivery of cancer services and patient care. The workforce has been subject to significant pressures over recent years, and this review considers them in the UK and internationally. These pressures include declining pathologist numbers, the increasing age of the workforce, and greater workload volume and complexity. Forecasts of the workforce’s future in numerous countries are also not favourable – although this is not universal.

The dark side of photomicrographs in pathology reports: Liability and practical concerns hidden from view

The rapid evolution of digital imaging has facilitated the ability to include photomicrographs in pathology reports. Although these pictures may seem to be an informative accompaniment to the written report, there are many problems raised by the images, which are not generally recognized. These include lack of quality standards, selection of representative images, and liability implications, which are addressed by wellestablished legal precedent. For dermatologists there is no such thing as a casual interest in a photomicrograph on a report, for it acts to distribute a share of liability by obligating the clinician to interpret the image properly. The risk management ramifications of these unintended consequences should be strongly considered by clinicians who favor the receipt of photomicrographic images in their pathology reports.

The Future is Now: Digital Pathology is Pathology

We must change the way pathologists think about the pathology lab and methodologies to address current and future demands, versus romanticizing how pathologists used to process samples. Education will be vital in this endeavor.

The Future of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine—Again

We are in an era with unprecedented challenges in global health and health care, challenges caused by growing and aging populations, increased incidence and prevalence of noncommunicable diseases, worsening antimicrobial drug resistance, and continued emergence of infectious diseases that threaten global health security.

The Future of Pathology Is Now

The challenges facing pathology are daunting and perhaps unprecedented. Medicine is in a state of flux, and pathology is under pressure from Medicare, third-party payers, legislatures (state and federal), regulatory agencies, and other physician entrepreneurs.

Resources

The Pathologist

Reporting on the research, personalities, policies, and partnerships that are shaping pathology.