22
A Year in Review 2012 – 2013:
Programs
Courage Lives Here
23
Laboratory Medicine Program
Courage is...
asking
tough questions
Patient-pathologist connection at
heart of diagnostic process
Annette Cyr is a take-charge type of person.
That’s why, when diagnosed with melanoma in 2001,
Annette wanted to know everything about her condition
and treatment plan.
The 51-year-old resident of Oakville, Ont., had many
questions and wanted to connect with everyone
involved in her care.
“I knew that a pathology report had been issued about
my tumour and my oncologist was using this report
to make decisions about my treatment plan,” said Cyr.
“But, I wanted to meet and talk to the person that issued
this report.”
So, Cyr met with Dr. Danny Ghazarian, a dermatopathol-
ogist in UHN’s Laboratory Medicine Program (LMP).
Gaining control
It’s Ghazarian’s job to view the biopsies of patients with
skin cancer and give a diagnosis. The diagnosis, called
a “pathology report,” is sent to the treating physician
and the patient.
Many patients are unaware of the value in meeting with
their pathologist to learn more about their diagnosis.
“Some patients don’t want to know about their disease,”
said Cyr. “I really needed to know some of the answers.
I felt if I had some of the information, I’d feel more in
control of my disease path and treatment options.”
‘Patients are real people’
“As a pathologist, I make myself available to the patient
if they have questions,” said Ghazarian. “As pathologists,
we have a responsibility to offer advice and education
about our reports. It makes the patient’s life much easier.”
“Our patients are not a glass slide with some tissue on
it,” Ghazarian continued. “Our patients are real people. “
Dr. Sylvia Asa, Medical Director of the Laboratory
Medicine Program, encourages the patient-pathologist
connection.
“We’ve come from a laboratory in the basement with
clinicians who were hiding behind the scenes and were
not known by their patients to a subspecialty program
where we are implementing molecular diagnostics to
drive personalized medicine,” she said.
“Pathology is the heart of the diagnostic process,” she
added. “Patients have questions and our pathologists
are always happy to provide answers.”
Enhancing care:
LMP is an innovative leader in digital telepathology, automatic barcode tracking of specimens,
integrated and synoptic reporting, Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)/Fine Needle Aspiration
(FNA)
biopsies, biobanking, molecular diagnostics and other cutting edge laboratory technologies.
UHN’s laboratory program generates value through partnerships with other large laboratories,
including Lakeridge Health, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and CAMH, to develop and
support new and innovative approaches in lab medicine.
Equitable access to care:
As leaders in laboratory medicine, UHN works with health care centres like Weeneebayko Area Health
Authority, near James Bay, the Timmins and District Hospital and its partners in the NE Cluster,
Haldimand War Memorial Hospital and the Sault Area Hospital. Patients at these health care centres
deserve to have access to the best laboratory medicine available.
Highlights
Annette Cyr, diagnosed withmelanoma in 2001, reviews her medical documents.
Meeting with her pathologist gave her more understanding about her disease
path and treatment options.
(Photo: UHN)
Dr. Danny Ghazarian is a dermatopathologist. He views biopsies of
patients with skin cancer and gives diagnoses.
(Photo: UHN)
