In practice, the pathologist is part of a multidisciplinary group of clinicians that manages the patient.

For example, in a patient with a thyroid nodule, the first step towards a diagnosis is to perform a fine needle aspiration (FNA). The pathologist will evaluate the cells that are aspirated from the nodule and make a diagnosis.

If the diagnosis is malignant, most commonly papillary thyroid carcinoma, the pathologist’s next role is to determine important prognostic features in the resected tumour.

Here you will see how the pathologist plays an active role in the management of a patient with thyroid cancer.