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

Pathologists are crucial to accurate diagnosis and therefore appropriate treatment of ovarian tumors. The pathologist will examine a small sample (a biopsy) of your ovarian tissue under a microscope. The pathologist identifies whether the tumor is benign or malignant and the type of tumor. This is essential because tumors of different types behave very differently and require different treatment regimens.

The ovary offers a particular challenge to pathologists because so many different types of tumors are derived from this organ. Furthermore, the pathologist often examines biopsies of the lymph nodes.