Anatomical Pathology Department

Location: Royal Marsden

Section: NHS Clinical Research Programme

Head of Department: Dr A Wotherspoon

Introduction

The term 'anatomical pathology' includes the disciplines of histopathology, which examines the morphological changes wrought in tissues by disease, and cytopathology, concerned with individual cells. Cytopathology is now managerially grouped with breast pathology. Clinical service and clinical research in histopathology are closely interdependent and, in places, inseparable. The research activities of the Department depend on the clinical priorities, since this determines the case mix and material available.

Future Aims

Our principal clinical research objective remains the development and application of new and improved methods of tumour diagnosis for distinguishing benign and malignant lesions and for distinguishing subtypes of malignant tumours. Particular emphasis is placed on identifying therapeutically significant subgroups by investigating the nature of tumour differentiation and by determining the pathological factors influencing behaviour, prognosis and response to therapy. In collaboration with the Section of Cancer Genetics, we help to undertake genome/transcriptome/proteome-wide analysis for variations in DNA, RNA, protein and other biochemical indices in tumours and normal tissues from patients from whom tumour samples are available.