Pathology Services

The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center is staffed by eight expert pathologists with regional reputations for excellence. Your biopsies and surgical specimens receive careful attention and many cases are reviewed by multiple pathologists at the daily departmental case conference, where cancer diagnoses are reviewed at a multiheaded microscope. The Department of Pathology actively supports the Breast Center.

Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy Service

Two cytopathologists with fellowship training and expertise in performing and interpreting fine needle aspiration biopsies of breast lesions see patients daily at the Breast Center, in conjunction with the surgeons and radiologists.

Expert Surgical Pathology

Pathologic evaluation of breast lesions is performed by pathologists with years of experience in breast pathology. There is close interaction with radiologists that assure the most accurate evaluation of specimens obtained by our expert radiologists (core biopsies, mammotome biopsies). The same close relationship exists with our expert surgeons - a necessary relationship assuring the best surgical outcomes for procedures such and needle localization excisions and sentinel lymph node biopsies.

Tumor / Prognosis Markers

The Immunohistochemistry Laboratory at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center provides the breast cancer patient and their doctors with "special studies" that identify whether the tumor cells have hormone receptors or express Her-2-Neu (Herceptest), a genetic product which, if present, enables the patient to receive a special kind of chemotherapy.

Consultation Services

Patients diagnosed with breast cancer or breast abnormalities who come to the Breast Center for a "second opinion" have their pathology reviewed immediately at the time of their visit. The review is done at the Breast Center with the surgeon so that the best therapeutic and diagnostic decisions can be made.