Understanding Pathology Reports

Patients should be more in charge of their own care. One way to do this is to learn as much about your disease as you can. Much of the information you need is already accessible, you just need to ask for it.

A copy of your laboratory, surgical pathology, and cytology reports can be requested, but most patients do not ask for copies. This web site is dedicated to keeping patients informed and in control.

We have created several web pages that can help you in your quest for knowlege.

Basic Principles of Disease
This is a good place to start to learn about how diseases develop.

Common Medical Terms
Medical jargon is complex. This page is a basic glossary of terms used in pathology reports.

Diagnostic Process
Learn how a pathologist makes a diagnosis using a microscope.

A Typical Surgical Pathology Report
Learn how a pathology report is organized and what each section means.

Example of a Translated Report
We'll break out the parts of a typical pathology report and explain what each section means.

Order a Translated Report
We will translate your pathology into plain English.