Pathology for medical students

This article is an introduction to pathology for family doctors.

Compentencies

Pre-autopsy

• Filling in a death certificate.
  • WHO standard for death certificate.

Autopsy

• Identifying medical examiner cases/coroner's cases.
• Getting an autopsy consent.
  • Understanding the hierarchy.
  • Knowing the difference between executer of the estate and power of attorney for health care decisions.
• Value of doing an autopsy.
• Important clinical information.
  • Clinical history - past medical history.
  • Events leading-up to death.
  • Provisional/suspected cause of death.

Surgical pathology

• Interpreting pathology reports.

Cancer diagnoses

Pitfalls:

• Melanoma.
• Mesothelioma.
• Adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified.

Prognostic factors:

• Staging & grade.
  • TMN staging system.
• Lymphovascular invasion.
• Perineural invasion.
• Margin status.

Techniques

• Immunohistochemical stains.
  • Cancers of unknown primary
• Targeted therapies.
  • Receptors in breast cancer.

See also

• Basics.