Carcinomas & Role of Diagnostic Pathology

The word carcinoma is synonym for cancer or malignancy in medical science. Carcinomas may develop from a variety of epithelial tissues of various sites of human body. Epithelial tissues (layers of body cells lining the wall) of respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) reproductive tract (vagina, cervix, uterus and fallopian tubes), oral cavity, head & neck, breast and skin may transform as carcinoma due to viral infections, genetic mutations and/or biochemical changes in our body. The histopathological diagnosis based on varied morphology of cells and their nuclei is very challenging for the pathologists. For the accurate differential diagnosis of carcinomas found in the primary organs and at metastatic sites in the biopsy materials/specimens, pathologists have to depend on advanced techniques/methodologies like immonohistochemistry (IHC), in-situ hybridization, molecular genetics, microarray etc.


A variety of panels of tumor specific & cells’ phenotype specific primary antibodies have been chalked-out through worldwide deliberations for accurate diagnosis of carcinomas/malignancies with reference to established literature and WHO classifications of carcinomas/malignancies. An accurate diagnosis provides the direction for the line of treatment or surgical interventions. However, individual results of advanced investigations may vary somewhat within diagnostic centers, probably due to protocols followed. The storage conditions and exhausted lifespan of primary antibodies used for IHC may influence the outcome of final result, so there is need for strict quality assurance at pathological diagnostic centers.