In the post-genomic era, there has never been more need for individuals who are capable of relating structure to function, by combining their microscopy skills with modern molecular pathology techniques.

Histopathology is the diagnosis of disease by the microscopic examination of tissue sections. Clinically, the most frequent problem posed to a histopathologist is the diagnosis of cancer. About 90% of all cancers are diagnosed or confirmed by the examination of tissue sections or by cytological examination of whole cells. Microscopic diagnosis is often made easier these days by specialized staining techniques and by immunocytochemistry (that is, specifically staining proteins in tissue sections using antibodies). Other techniques employed may include electron microscopy and molecular biology. For example, in situ hybridisation, which uses labelled polynucleotides to identify areas where specific genes are being expressed, is of particular relevance to pathologists. 

Sometimes people wonder whether or not this discipline will continue to exist! There is an assumption that, with better imaging techniques and the application of molecular biology, the need for microscopic examination may be diminished. In fact, the demand for microscopic examination of tissue sections in both the diagnostic arena and in research terms, increases every year and shows no sign at all of decreasing. The revelation of small internal lesions by sophisticated imaging frequently needs to be followed by a tissue diagnosis, and this has led to the use of fine needle aspiration techniques, which again require a skilled microscopist to interpret the findings.

Current Challenges

 The main challenge at present is to persuade enough talented young doctors to pick a career in Pathology! But in both clinical work and research, good quality histopathology is vital and perhaps deserves more recognition.