Can Histology Be Wrong?

Raab said that a detailed study of the effect of pathology errors by cytologic-histologic correlation has not been done, but others have estimated that 2.3% of cytologic specimens and 0.44% of surgical specimens were wrong, and that 23% of those errors had a significant effect on patient care.

Does histology mean cancer?

A description of a tumor based on how abnormal the cancer cells and tissue look under a microscope and how quickly the cancer cells are likely to grow and spread. Low-grade cancer cells look more like normal cells and tend to grow and spread more slowly than high-grade cancer cells.

Are biopsies ever wrong?

Although tests aren't 100% accurate all the time, receiving a wrong answer from a cancer biopsy – called a false positive or a false negative – can be especially distressing. While data are limited, an incorrect biopsy result generally is thought to occur in 1 to 2% of surgical pathology cases.