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The role of the pathologist

in PMP

The pathologist is part of the multidisciplinary team of surgeons, nurses, radiologists, oncologists, physiotherapists, dieticians, psychologists and others.

Pathologists are particularly involved at two points in the care pathway.

  1. At the time of initial diagnosis
    The pathologist may make the diagnosis of PMP based on a biopsy taken from the abdominal disease, or identify and classify a cancer in an appendectomy specimen.
  2. At the time of surgical treatment
    Assuming it is in the patient’s best interests, the treatment usually offered for PMP in specialist centres is cytoreductive surgery with heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy. The organs removed during surgery are sent for histopathology and the pathologist will issue a report covering features to guide management, such as the grade of the PMP and whether lymph nodes are involved.

What do you call that?

You may hear lots of terms, unfamiliar words which are difficult to remember. There is so much to take in and you won’t always have time to think to ask the right question. Our glossary is a place where you can look up exactly what something means.

References

The pathology of pseudomyxoma peritonei and appendix tumours

Pseudomyxoma Survivor and N Carr, MB BS FRCPath FRCPA FAcadMEd, Pseudomyxoma Survivor website, 2023

A Consensus for Classification and Pathologic Reporting of Pseudomyxoma Peritonei and Associated Appendiceal Neoplasia

Carr, Norman J. FRCPath; Cecil, Thomas D. MD; Mohamed, Faheez; Sobin, Leslie H.; Sugarbaker, Paul H.; González-Moreno, Santiago MD PhD; Taflampas, Panos MD; Chapman, Sara PhD; Moran, Brendan J. MD, A Consensus for Classification and Pathologic Reporting of Pseudomyxoma Peritonei and Associated Appendiceal Neoplasia, The American Journal of Surgical Pathology: January 2016 – Volume 40 – Issue 1 – p 14-26 doi: 10.1097/PAS.0000000000000535

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Complete cytoreduction for pseudomyxoma peritonei (Sugarbaker technique)

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Complete cytoreduction for pseudomyxoma peritonei (Sugarbaker technique), April 2004 [Online]. Available https://www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/ipg56 [Accessed February 2018]. Under review February 2018.