Our Team > Pathology

Pathology Department is one of the vital supportive facilities of RCC. It plays an essential role in the institution's mission to improve patient care and for early detection of cancers. Diagnostic Pathology Services include Surgical Pathology, Haematopathology and Cytopathology. In addition to the routine laboratory services, this department is providing ancillary diagnostic techniques - Immunohistochemistry (IHC), Frozen Section reporting, Liquid Based Cytology (LBC), Flow cytometry, FISH tests and RT-PCR for diagnosis and prognostication. Faculty of Pathology department is also providing expert opinions on referred cases from various hospitals within and outside the State. The Department is also actively involved in community oriented cancer control programmes of the State.

The Department conducts various teaching and training programmes and courses. The Academic staff are also playing a major role in the applied research activities of the Centre, by getting involved in various Research projects.

Surgical Pathology

• More than 20000 Surgical Pathology cases are reported each year which includes in house specimens, review cases and second opinion on surgical cases from other centres.
• Immunohistochemistry is done routinely for accurate tumour typing and for hormone receptor and Her2 neu status. More than 100 immunohistochemical markers are currently available. Around 38000 are read every year.
• Frozen Section facility is provided for primary diagnosis as well as for assessment of margins and sentinel node involvement in various cancers. Around 1500 frozen specimens are reported each year.
• Fluorescent In Situ Hybridisation (FISH) test is done for assessment of Her-2/neu gene amplification, 1p/19q co-deletion, EWSR1 and MDM2 amplification. Around 350 FISH tests are done each year.
• PCR for lung adenocarcinoma is done for molecular categorization.

Cytopathology

• Over 20,000 cytology cases are processed each year including both GYN and non-GYN material. Cases are referred from other hospitals for FNAC, Pap smear and Sputum cytology. Apart from receiving samples from outside, cytopathologists perform FNAC daily from superficial sites. Guided FNA samples are also received from Radiodiagnosis division.
• Pap smears are received from community oncology and screening for cervical cancer done in various early cancer detection camp programmes. Trained technicians take Pap smear of referred patients in the Division of Pathology and Community Oncology.
• Intraoperative cytology diagnosis is given in emergency cases.
• Immunocytochemistry is performed on cytology material for selected cases.
• Cell block preparations with Immunohistochemistry are done routinely.
• Liquid based cytology (LBC) is done routinely
• Molecular study (RT- PCR) - EGFR in cell block material is being done.
• Second opinion for samples from early cancer detection centres (ECDC) of RCC and slides received from various hospitals are given.

Haemato Pathology

• About 10000 samples (peripheral blood and bone marrow specimens) and around 1000 lymph node biopsies are processed each year.
• Immunohistochemistry and Flow cytometry is done in most of these cases as immunophenotyping is an essential tool for diagnosis, classification and monitoring of leukemia and lymphomas.
• Around 15,000 immunohistochemistry slides per year are read for immunophenotyping of lymphomas.
• 1000 flow cytometry samples are processed and analysed every year for immunophenotyping of leukaemia and lymphomas, for CD34 enumeration and MRD (measurable residual disease) estimation in B-ALL.
• Fluorescent In Situ Hybridisation (FISH) test is done for lymphomas, namely CMYC, BCL2, BCL6 (break apart FISH), MALT-1 break apart FISH, CCND1/IGH Dual fusion FISH, MYC/IGH Dual fusion FISH
• Second opinion on haematology cases (lymph node and bone marrow) are provided for samples from outside hospitals.

Information regarding the procedure for obtaining opinion on referral material

Requests for second opinion may be addressed to Head of the Department / Consultant Pathologists by the treating Physician. Samples already processed as slides and paraffin blocks are accepted in Room No: A102 (Room No.2, Pathology Division), on all working days, between 9 AM and 4 PM. The material should be submitted personally and reports should be collected from the Department of Pathology. Patients should bring the bill for collecting the report. The report will neither be sent by post nor be communicated over telephone.

The following details are essential in addition to the Physician’s request letter:

• Requesting physician's address, contact number and e-mail ID
• Patient's name, age, sex, full postal address, Telephone number / E-mail address (if available)
• Clinical details including X ray/scan reports, intraoperative and gross specimen findings
• Sample to be submitted as slides and paraffin blocks
• Specimen to be provided on request by the consultant Pathologist in the required instances
• Site of disease, type of biopsy, nature of material and details of previous surgery/ biopsy
• Radiological images with radiology reports are essential for Bone & Soft tissue and CNS cases
• Slides/Blocks prepared elsewhere can be returned on Physician's request after filing minimum representative material in the Department of Pathology, RCC. Blocks can be given only 24 hours after getting the request.
• Slides/Blocks prepared elsewhere can be returned on Physician's request after filing minimum representative material in the Division of Pathology, RCC.

Specimens are not accepted as such without initial pathology report from outside hospitals/laboratories

Courses and Training Programmes

Course Name	Duration	Annual Intake
MD Pathology	3 Years	2
Post Doctoral Certificate in Oncopathology	1 Year	4
Cytotechnology Course*	1 Year	4
Cytotechnician*	6 Months	6
Quality Excellence Programme for Lab Technicians	1 Year	6

* Indian Academy of Cytology (IAC) recognised centre for training