Pathologists Looking into Microscopes

The Pathologist's Role

Home >
The Pathologist's Role

Pathologists have an important role in medicine, and nowhere is this more evident than in the care of brain cancer patients.

Charles Eberhart, M.D., Ph.D. — Much of a pathologist's work takes place at the microscope

What is a Pathologist?

A pathologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the classification and grading of tumors based on examining tissue under the microscope and is responsible for the management of various clinical laboratories.

The pathologist plays an essential role in the management of brain tumor patients, as only the pathologist can make the diagnosis of brain cancer, and he/she is responsible for classifying and grading the tumor. The classification and grading that the pathologist report are essential information that guide the oncologists' treatment over the course of the disease.

Meet Your Pathologists

The Pathologist's Report

The pathologist reports on his/her findings in what's known as 'the pathologist's report', which contains information synthesized from different sources.

The pathologist arrives to conclusions based on microscopic examination of the tumor after the use of special stains, and incorporates the results of specialized testing (such as immunohistochemistry and next generation sequencing) into the report for increasing detail and accuracy.

Read More about Pathology Reports

Selected Publications

Below you will find selected publications written by members of our team. These publications are indicative of the impact that our team has on breast cancer research worldwide.

The partial or complete suppression of the immune response of an individual; immunosuppression is induced to help the survival of an organ after a transplant operation.

Laboratory technique that allows for the testing of alterations of multiple genes simultaneously. Increasingly applied to tumor diagnosis and treatment.

Physicians specializing in the medical treatment of brain tumors.

Areas of dead cells or tissues. Necrosis is a marker of higher grade in diffuse gliomas.

Alterations in the DNA of specific genes. May characterize specific brain tumor types. Mutations may be somatic (present in the tumor tissue only) or germline (present in multiple or all cells of the patient as well as the tumor).

Increased number and abnormal configuration of small vessels in brain tumors. A marker of higher grade in diffuse gliomas.

Molecular genetic characteristic of specific subgroups of brain tumors—particularly glioblastoma—and associated with a higher sensitivity for specific chemotherapies (such as temozolomide).

Tumors that start outside of the brain in other organs (e.g. lung, breast) but that reach the brain through the circulation.

Common brain tumor that develops in association with meninges and may compress the brain or spinal cord from the outside.

Tissues that cover and surround the brain and contain the cerebrospinal fluid.

Most common primary malignant brain tumor in children. Highly aggressive but many patients are curable with current treatments.

Applied to tumors with a high proliferative rate and malignant features.

Applied to tumors usually with a slower growth potential.

Special staining technique that recognizes the levels of specific molecules, such as proteins, characteristic of particular tumor types.

Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1. Metabolic enzyme. Mutations in this gene are a feature of a diffuse glioma subset associated with a better prognosis.

Scale used to assess the potential aggressiveness of brain tumors. Brain tumors may be broadly classified as low grade or high grade.

Broad category of brain tumors that includes astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas.

Most common primary malignant brain neoplasm characterized by its aggressive behavior and infiltrative behavior in the brain.

Generic term for supporting cells in the Central Nervous System other than neurons. It includes astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglia.

Molecular technique that applies “probes” for specific gene regions and is useful in identifying gains (amplifications) and gene losses (e.g. 1p/19q) in tumors.

A disorder of the brain characterized by recurrent convulsions (seizures).

Subgroup of tumors that have are most common in the brain in children and the spinal cord in adults. They form well circumscribed masses and the primary treatment involves surgical resection, although chemotherapy and irradiation may be required for higher grade tumors.

Group of malignant tumors that are most common in children and young patients. They share features in common with the developing Central Nervous System.

Fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord and fills the ventricles. Some malignant brain tumor types have a propensity to spread through this fluid, and cells of these tumors may be identified through microscopic analysis.

Glioma subtype characterized by particular morphologic features (uniform round cells) and molecular genetic alterations (1p/19q codeletion, IDH mutation) and associated with relatively better outcome among the diffuse gliomas affecting adults.

Common laboratory technique used to test alterations in specific genes.

Cavities located inside the brain containing the cerebrospinal fluid.

Standard guide for the classification and grading of human cancer, including brain tumors. Guidelines are established by brain tumor experts from around the world every few years.

A complex organ system that includes the brain and spinal cord.

A subtype of glioma that has features in common with astrocytes; an astrocyte is a subtype of glial cell that has a variety of functions in the brain, including reacting and filling space after an area of injury and regulating the blood brain barrier.

Genetic alteration encountered in oligodendroglial tumors. The presence of this alteration in the right context is associated with a better prognosis in diffuse gliomas of adults, and usually results in a different treatment.