90% of people don’t know the importance of pathological examination!

Pathological examination plays an irreplaceable core role in the medical diagnosis system. It is a key bridge between clinical medicine and basic medicine. However, in the real medical environment, a considerable number of patients and even some medical staff do not fully understand pathological examination. They may tend to regard pathological examination as an auxiliary diagnostic tool rather than a diagnosis and treatment procedure that must be followed. This misunderstanding may lead to neglecting the importance of pathological examination at critical moments, thereby delaying the discovery and treatment of the disease. Therefore, correcting this one-sided understanding of pathological examination is of great significance to improving the overall quality of medical care and protecting people's health. This article aims to help everyone fully understand the importance of pathological examination, and I hope it will be helpful to everyone's healthy life.

1. Definition and classification of pathological examination

Pathology is a diagnostic method that reveals the essential characteristics of the disease at the microscopic level through detailed observation and analysis of diseased tissue. The main purpose of this method is to determine the nature, extent and stage of the disease, thereby providing clinicians with valuable information about the disease process and possible treatment options. Pathology is a complex and delicate process that is divided into two major categories: histopathology and cytopathology. Histopathology is the cornerstone of pathological diagnosis. It mainly involves cutting the diseased tissue into thin slices, usually called sections, and then observing and analyzing these sections in depth under a microscope. This method can reveal subtle changes in tissue structure and morphology, helping doctors understand the cellular and molecular characteristics of the disease. Cytopathology focuses more on the analysis of cell samples. This examination method mainly involves obtaining samples containing diseased cells, followed by staining and microscopic observation. Cytopathology plays a key role in the diagnosis of many diseases, especially cancer.

2. Importance of Pathological Examination

1. The basis for accurate disease diagnosis

Pathological examination is an examination method that observes and analyzes diseased tissues in detail. It directly observes the changes in cell morphology, structure and function in tissue sections or body fluids, providing doctors with a basis for diagnosis of the nature of the disease. This method can distinguish between benign and malignant lesions, laying the foundation for accurate diagnosis of the disease. In many diseases, especially malignant diseases such as tumors, pathological examination is the gold standard for diagnosis. Through this method, doctors can determine the nature, grade and stage of the tumor, so as to develop a personalized treatment plan for the patient.

2. Basis for treatment plan determination

Pathological examination, as a key link in modern medical diagnosis, is irreplaceable. It reveals the essential cause and process of the disease through detailed microscopic observation, chemical analysis and molecular biological testing of diseased tissues or body fluids. This process can not only confirm the diagnosis of the disease, but more importantly, it can provide doctors with a scientific and accurate basis for formulating personalized treatment plans for each patient.

In clinical practice, doctors will use the results of pathological examinations to understand in detail the cell morphology, structural characteristics, degree of invasion, and possible gene mutations of the diseased tissue to accurately determine the type and stage of the disease. In this way, doctors can develop a more reasonable treatment plan based on this detailed information. For example, for patients with malignant tumors, pathological examinations can help determine the malignancy of the tumor, the extent of invasion, and whether there is distant metastasis, thereby guiding doctors to choose the most suitable surgical method, chemotherapy regimen, radiotherapy strategy, etc. for the patient.

3. Disease monitoring and assessment

The clinical application value of pathological examination is irreplaceable. In addition to playing a decisive role in the early diagnosis of the disease, helping doctors accurately distinguish the type of disease, clarify the cause and pathogenesis, and provide a solid basis for patients to develop targeted treatment plans. It also plays a vital role in tracking and monitoring the course of the disease and evaluating the effectiveness of treatment. By regularly collecting samples of diseased tissue from patients for pathological examinations, doctors can systematically observe and analyze key indicators such as the degree of cell proliferation, atypia, depth and range of infiltration during the course of the disease. In this way, doctors can accurately grasp the rate and severity of disease progression for each patient based on these detailed pathological data, and then adjust the treatment plan in real time to ensure that the treatment strategy is always in line with the stage of disease development, maximize the treatment effect, delay disease progression, and ultimately help patients recover.

4. Improve the quality of medical care

The popularization and widespread application of pathological examinations have played a key role in improving the quality of medical care in clinical practice. Through a rigorous and meticulous pathological examination process, doctors can obtain valuable information about the occurrence, development mechanism and prognosis of the disease, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the diagnosis results. This precise diagnosis is the premise and basis for formulating personalized treatment plans that are highly targeted, have few side effects and good compliance. In addition, pathological examinations can also guide clinicians to conduct real-time monitoring and condition assessment during the treatment of the disease, and adjust the treatment plan in a timely manner according to the examination results, significantly improving the treatment effect.

5. Scientific research and academic exchanges

Pathological examination occupies a pivotal position in the medical research and academic exchange system. It plays the role of a "decoder" that reveals the nature of the disease. Through detailed sampling, processing, staining, observation and analysis of diseased tissues, pathologists can obtain first-hand information about the occurrence, development and prognosis of the disease. These detailed data provide valuable clues and basis for medical research. With the help of the data provided by pathological examination, researchers can deeply explore the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease, pathological physiological changes, and treatment effect evaluation, thereby promoting breakthrough progress in the field of medicine in disease diagnosis, treatment strategy formulation and preventive measures. At the academic exchange level, pathological examination is also a valuable key link. Medical workers around the world share and discuss the pathological characteristics and research results of various diseased tissues to enhance mutual cognition and understanding, and give birth to new scientific research ideas and methods. In various international and domestic academic conferences, journal papers and monographs, the analysis and discussion of pathological examination cases have become an important bridge connecting medical experts from different countries and regions.

3. Precautions for pathological examination

There are several key considerations to follow when conducting a pathological examination. First, accurate sampling is the basis for ensuring the reliability of the examination results. The sampling location, size, and depth of the lesion tissue directly affect the accuracy of the examination results. If the sampling is improper, the examination results may deviate from the actual situation, thus affecting the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Therefore, the doctor needs to fully understand the condition, including the nature, location, size, and other information of the lesion, and choose the appropriate sampling method and location based on this information.

Secondly, timely examination is crucial to ensure the accuracy of the examination results. The morphology and structure of the diseased tissue will change over time. If the examination time is delayed, it may cause changes in the diseased tissue, thereby affecting the accuracy of the examination results. Therefore, patients should undergo pathological examination as soon as possible so that doctors can understand the true situation of the disease in time and provide accurate basis for subsequent treatment.

Correct interpretation of pathological examination results is also essential. Pathologists need to have rich professional knowledge and experience to accurately determine the nature and type of diseased tissue. At the same time, clinicians and patients also need to fully understand and correctly apply the results of pathological examinations. Clinicians need to formulate appropriate treatment plans based on the examination results and the actual situation of the patient, and patients need to understand the relevant knowledge of the disease in order to better cooperate with the treatment.

IV. Publicity and Popularization

In order to increase the public's awareness and attention to pathological examinations, we need to adopt a diversified strategy for popularization and promotion. First, it is crucial to strengthen medical education and training, which will help more doctors deeply understand and fully realize the core role of pathological examinations in disease diagnosis and treatment. Secondly, through vivid and diverse forms such as media publicity and health lectures, the relevant knowledge and importance of pathological examinations should be popularized to the public, thereby enhancing people's health awareness and self-protection capabilities. In addition, the government and relevant institutions should also increase support and investment in pathological examinations, and actively promote the research and development and application of related technologies to improve the accuracy and efficiency of pathological examinations.

In short, as the cornerstone of medical diagnosis, the importance and necessity of pathological examination cannot be ignored. We must correct the public's misunderstanding of pathological examination and improve their awareness and attention to pathological examination. At the same time, doctors also need to continue to learn and improve their professional level to ensure that they can accurately perform pathological examinations and correctly interpret the examination results. Only in this way can we better use pathological examination as a powerful tool to protect the health of patients and demonstrate its important value in the medical field.

Author: Yang Yuanyuan, Shanghai Minhang District Central Hospital