Anatomical Pathology

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Description

The Department of Anatomical Pathology at IRCCS Candiolo is a highly specialized unit that plays a central role in cancer diagnosis. The department analyzes biological materials and tissue samples to confirm or rule out oncologic diagnoses and to identify the molecular and genetic characteristics of each disease—essential information for planning personalized treatment.

The multidisciplinary staff includes medical pathologists, biologists, radiologists, and laboratory technicians, who collaborate closely with surgeons, oncologists, hematologists, and radiation oncologists.

The department’s activities are organized into several specialized areas:

Histopathology and Cytopathology
Immunocytochemistry
Cytogenetics
Molecular Pathology (on tissue and liquid biopsy)
Microscopic Diagnosis (histology and cytology)

Microscopic Diagnosis: Histology and Cytology

Histological and cytological diagnostics form the foundation of the department’s work:

Examination of tissues and organs obtained via surgery, biopsy, or core needle biopsy.
Analysis of cell samples from fine-needle aspiration, effusions, urine, sputum, bronchoaspirates, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and other specimens.
Intraoperative diagnostics providing immediate feedback during surgical procedures.

Diagnostic counseling

The department provides in-depth diagnostic consultations for complex cancers, including:

Breast
Skin and soft tissue
Head and neck
Lung
Gastrointestinal system
Urogenital system
Oncohematologic malignancies

The team also handles specialist cytology and with the diagnosis of cancers of unknown primitivity (CUP) – cancers whose organ of origin is unclear: using advanced techniques to identify the tissue of origin.

Biomarker Analysis

The Immunohistochemistry laboratory enables:

Detection of tumor-associated molecular markers
Assessment of prognosis and potential treatment responses

Genetic and Molecular Analysis

The department is also a reference center for Cytogenetics and Molecular Pathology, providing advanced genetic and molecular analyses, including:

Detection of chromosomal alterations in leukemias, lymphomas, and solid tumors (e.g., using FISH).
Identification of genetic mutations and gene fusions through Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), critical for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy selection.
Evaluation of complex biomarkers via NGS, including microsatellite instability (MSI), tumor mutational burden (TMB), and homologous recombination deficiency (HRD).
Detection of hereditary cancer syndromes (e.g., Lynch syndrome, familial polyposis, hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndromes) in collaboration with Medical Genetics.
Analysis of HPV viral DNA in relevant cancers (cervical, head and neck, etc.).