Understanding your Pathology Report and the Implications for Treatment

Jane Messina, MD Vice Chair, Anatomic Pathology Moffitt Cancer Center A pathologist is a doctor who diagnoses diseases by looking at tissue from the body. Samples of your melanoma tissue, removed during surgery or biopsy, will be sent to them to review under a microscope. The pathology report goes over all of their findings. This report has important information about the tumor. This is used to make treatment decisions for you. You should ask for a copy of this report to keep in your personal medical files.