Pathology

The Department of Pathology & Immunology is an international leader in diagnostic pathology, providing consultation for clinical caregivers and supervising laboratories that provide information necessary for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. The department also operates laboratories that support specialized clinical testing or outreach. Washington University Pathology Services (WUPath), the department’s clinical arm for pathologic diagnosis, delivers personalized medicine through subspecialty expertise and state of the art ancillary testing.

Clinical services of WUPath are further enhanced by Genomic and Pathology Services (GPS@WUSTL), a clinical DNA-sequencing laboratory; and the Dermatopathology Center at Washington University. The Department of Pathology and Immunology has four divisions:

  • Anatomic and Molecular Pathology
  • Immunobiology
  • Laboratory and Genomic Medicine

In addition to a century-long focus on the relationship between the basic science of immunology and disease, the Department is one of the major centers for academic pathology and laboratory medicine in the nation. In parallel with the research in the Department, these divisions continue to play major and pioneering roles in surgical pathology and laboratory medicine.

Pathology is centered on diagnosis and staging at the cellular level. Pathologic evaluation is used to separate benign from malignant diseases. For malignant tumors, it can subdivide them as to site of origin, and their extent or stage to define the appropriate therapeutic options.

Since its inception in 1910, the Department of Pathology & Immunology has had combined excellence in research, training, and clinical service. The view that basic science research leads to exceptional training and high quality clinical service has made the Department a vital bridge between the basic sciences and other clinical disciplines at Washington University. Pathologists are a vital and ever-evolving group of scholars dedicated to human pathobiology and the care of those with disease.

Washington University Department of Pathology and Immunology

To learn more about the Department of Pathology and Immunology at Washington University School of Medicine, please visit their website http://pathology.wustl.edu/.

Genomic and Pathology Services (GPS@WUSTL)

GPS@WUSTL, which is operated in collaboration with the Department of Genetics, provides state-of-the-art molecular genetic testing.

GPS’ clinical genomic tests improve patient care by enabling personalized medicine. Flagship genomic tests employ next-generation sequencing, and return genomic intelligence across multiple key disease-relevant genes to drive treatment decisions. Sequencing results are interpreted by board certified pathologists and clinical geneticists; and variants are categorized by medical significance in a concise clinical report.

These results help physicians stratify disease subtypes and identify the best patient treatment strategies. The report returned to the ordering physician contains expert clinical interpretations that pertain to the diagnosis and the genetic variants identified in a patient. This allows for rapid patient management decisions to be made by the treating physician.

Pathologists at Siteman Cancer Center are nationally recognized in their specialty areas, bringing a degree of expertise to patient care that helps ensure that the disease is accurately diagnosed and that the treatment plan developed by the oncologists is appropriate for the patient’s type of tumor and the extent of disease. Pathologists at the Siteman Cancer Center have access to the most up-to-date diagnostic tools to ensure accuracy and comprehensive evaluation so oncologists have all the information they need to make accurate treatment decisions.