Surgical pathology is one of the major functions of the Department. Surgical pathologists make their diagnoses by looking at tissue samples under a microscope. Samples from a biopsy or surgery are processed, embedded in paraffin (wax), cut into thin slices, and mounted on glass slide. They are then stained to make the cells visible under microscope for the pathologist to study them.

If a disease requires further classification, additional testing like immunohistochemistry needs to be done. Immunohistochemistry procedure uses direct labeled antibodies against particular proteins specific to certain tumor types. Defining the spectrum of protein expression allows a more accurate diagnosis and also provides prognostic or therapeutic information in some cases.

Our Surgical Pathology Department also performs diagnoses using frozen sections if an urgent diagnosis is needed. The findings can guide a procedure and can immediately be shared with the surgeon while the patient is still in the operating room.

With cytology, diagnosis is made on the basis of dispersed, single cells rather than tissue samples. These cells are obtained from fluids (such as urine or sputum) or by using fine needle aspiration or brush cytology techniques. Pap smears is one such brush cytology techniques that is used as a screening tool to detect precancerous lesions of the cervix.

Diagnostic molecular pathology focuses on characterizing tumours based on genetic changes in their cells. The tumors are analyzed for the genetic alterations that are driving cancer growth. This diagnosis forms the basis for targeted therapies. The laboratory performs molecular tests on tumor samples to determine chromosomal alterations using fluorescence in-situ hybridization (cytogenetics) technique.