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 The Pathology Department of Solaris Health System, staffed by Central Jersey Pathology Consultants pathologists, provides the pathology support for the Regional Cancer Center. Central Jersey Pathology Consultants is a group of highly qualified physicians, board certified in pathology with sub-specialization in the areas of hematopathology, surgical pathology, cytopathology and molecular diagnostics and immunohistochemistry. These competent specialists interpret tissue samples from different body sites obtained by surgeons, oncologists, and other specialists following the guidelines established by the College of American Pathologists and those established by other clinical disciplines. Our commitment is to provide the highest quality and accuracy of diagnosis for the management and treatment of the patient with cancer and to provide accurate indicators of prognosis for the cancer patient. Central Jersey Pathology Consultants provides pathology services in the following areas:
General Surgical Pathology Our pathologists provide detailed examination, both gross and microscopic, of tissue samples from multiple organ sites to stage tumors and other neoplastic lesions. The purpose of this examination is to determine adequacy of excision, histologic types and grades, and degree of extent of a given lesion to provide clinicians with meaningful data to determine prognosis, risk of recurrence and/or need for additional therapies such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Very strict quality control and peer review procedures as well as consultations within the department are used to assure accuracy of diagnosis. Hematopathology and Molecular Diagnostics Equipped with the most advance instrumentation, JFK is one of a handful of laboratories in the region offering flow cytometry, technology that allow for analysis of types and rations of large numbers of cells in specimens, usually blood or bone marrow. Based on these combinations, diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and myelodysplasia (pre-leukemia) can be diagnosed, and a prognosis and treatment plan can be formulated, and response to treatment can be monitored. In certain cases, treatment is based on the presence of certain specific markers, and in these cases, flow cytometry tailors the treatment to the individual patient, rather than using a broad brush to treat every patient. Flow cytometry, along with routine tissue evaluation, can help determine prognosis in certain solid tumors, such as breast and colon cancer, by determining the DNA content of cells, and how fast they are dividing. FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) is another modern diagnostic technique that is used to estimate the number of HER2 neu gene copies in breast cancer, to determine whether or not patients can benefit from anti-HER2 neu therapy. It is also used in leukemia diagnosis and monitoring for localization of certain chromosome breakpoints known to be important in these disorders. Cytopathology Besides the routine examination of fluid, sputums, bronchial and gastric brushings, and gynecological samples utilized for cancer detection and diagnosis, the department provides fine needle aspiration services to patients for rapid diagnosis of different types of superficial or palpable lesions. Fine needle aspiration is a rapid, simple and minimally invasive procedure in which an ultra thin needle is used to obtain a cell sample for the diagnosis of different types of lesions. Samples from the superficial lesions are taken by pathologists with a high degree of expertise in obtaining these types of samples. For deep-seated lesions, our pathologists work in close collaboration with radiologists to obtain samples from lesions that must be located via x-ray or ultrasound procedures. Patients are scheduled for fine needle aspirations at their convenience, and no special patient preparation is required. The procedure usually takes a total of one hour at most, including time for preparation and evaluation of the sample at bedside to assure adequacy of the sample for interpretation. Pathologists, highly trained in the procedure, obtain the tissue sample with minimal discomfort to the patient in a comfortable outpatient setting. There is no restriction of patient activity following the procedure, and patient acceptance and tolerance of fine needle aspirations has been very favorable. One of the greatest advantages of this procedure is the rapid turnaround time for interpretation and diagnosis. Personal communication to the attending physician about the findings eliminates lengthy delays that may occur when samples are sent to other facilities, such as commercial laboratories, for interpretation. Patients and physicians alike benefit from the personal attention given to the patient and the rapid results reporting, usually the same day of the procedure. Multidisciplinary Participation in the Management of the Patient with Cancer In addition to the above areas of specialization, department members participate actively in patient management by serving as consultants with other disciplines through case reviews and conferences with clinicians, radiotherapists and oncologists to provide state-of-the-art management of the patient with cancer. |
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