What is pathology?
Some people may have a vague understanding of the place of pathology in daily life, but the question remains: what is pathology in medical terms? Pathology is a medical speciality that determines the cause and nature of diseases by examining and testing body tissues and bodily fluids.
70% of medical decisions rely on pathology
At every stage of life, we rely on pathology for our health and wellbeing. Did you know that the majority of the times we receive a medical diagnosis it is the result of a test that has been sent away to a pathology laboratory? The work of pathology teams is rarely seen by the public.
From birth until our twilight years, we rely on blood tests, biopsies and a multitude of other pathology tests to prevent, diagnose and treat infections, allergies, chronic diseases, cancers and countless other medical conditions. The results from these tests help inform correct diagnosis and treatment of patients in Australia and around the globe.
Pathology teams are responsible for collecting and testing these samples, analysing results and communicating that information back to the treating doctor so they can look after their patients.
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