Department of Cancer Pathology and Pathomorphology

The Department of Cancer Pathology and Pathomorphology at the Oncology Centre in Bydgoszcz provides a full range of diagnostic services. Our unit is the largest Department of Pathomorphology in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, as well as the centre with the highest referentiality in accordance with the license granted by the Polish Society of Pathologists (3rd degree of referentiality). In our work, we use the latest diagnostic methods, including over 150 tumour markers, as well as techniques in the field of molecular biology, including in situ hybridization (FISH). The Department employs pathomorphologists with many years of professional experience and highly qualified laboratory personnel. Our doctors are members of the Polish Society of Pathologists and the European Society of Pathologists.

The main task of the Department of Cancer Pathology and Pathomorphology is to provide precise and fast histopathological and cytological diagnostics to patients treated at the Oncology Centre and other health care facilities. Our pathomorphologists specialize mainly in neoplastic diseases of breasts, gastrointestinal tract, haematology, skin, as well as the urinary, respiratory and reproductive systems. In addition, our Department carries out over 500 consultations of pathomorphological diagnoses from other medical units annually.

The structure of the Department includes laboratories for histopathology, immunohistochemistry, histochemistry of intraoperative tests, gynaecological and non-gynaecological cytology, molecular biology and flow cytometry.

What we do?

The Department of Cancer Pathology and Pathomorphology deals with the diagnosis of mainly cancerous diseases from human tissue material and body fluids collected during procedures. The main tool of the pathologist’s work is the microscope. Proper diagnosis of the disease determines the appropriate and effective treatment. The pathologist plays a vital role in patient care. Pathologists and clinicians provide comprehensive and personalized treatment of patients.

Second opinion (consulting services)

Obtaining an additional opinion/consultation regarding your diagnosis may bring benefits such as improving the quality of medical care by personalizing treatment or obtaining additional information about the disease.

Why Our Department?

The Department of Cancer Pathology and Pathomorphology performs tens of thousands of tests a year. Our Department employs top-class specialists in the field of pathomorphology, dealing with the diagnosis of neoplastic diseases. Thanks to excellent qualifications and numerous years of experience with the use of the most modern diagnostic methods, we provide diagnostics at the highest level, which results in the possibility of applying personalized treatment.

How to get a consultation?

1. Fill in the form below – referral for consultation – download the form.
2. Histopathological slides (so-called slides), paraffin blocks and previous pathomorphological diagnoses of your case must be enclosed to the form. Histopathological slides (so-called “slides”), paraffin blocks and previous pathomorphological diagnoses can be borrowed at your request from the pathology department where your examination was originally performed. Printing a request for lending preparations, paraffin blocks and copies of the results of histopathological examinations – download the form.

3. The form with preparations and blocks can be sent by post or delivered personally to our Department – shipping address – contact
4. The waiting time for the result of the consultation is approximately 7 business days. In more complex cases, when diagnosis requires, for example, determination of tumour markers, the deadline for completing the test may be extended to 2 weeks.

5. The rates according to the official price list from the Oncology Centre are applicable for consultations and the necessary specialist tests (tumour markers). The standard cost of consultations is PLN 150 + in more complicated cases when, for example, the determination of tumour markers is required to obtain a diagnosis (PLN 60 for each additional marker).
6. Payment for the consultation is made at the cash desk of the Oncology Centre or by transfer to the following bank account number:

87 1440 1215 0000 0000 0615 4387

title of transfer: consultation Department of Cancer Pathology and Pathomorphology + name and surname of the patient/client.

IF YOU WANT TO RECEIVE AN INVOICE FOR A TRANSFER, PROVIDE YOUR NIP (tax identification number)

7. The result of the consultation and the preparations, and paraffin blocks delivered for consultation can be collected in person at the Institute’s secretariat or you can receive them by post.

Where to send the preparations? contact

o Call

Just call (52) 374 33 43 or write to the e-mail address: zpnip@co.bydgoszcz.pl to get all the information you need.

Quality assurance and accreditation

Our Department received the license of the Polish Society of Pathologists with the highest 3^rd degree of referentiality to perform tests:

• histological,
• intraoperative,
• histochemical,
• immunohistochemical,
• cytological,
• molecular.

We participate in international quality controls:

• EQA Labquality External Quality Assessment Program (virtual microscopy – histopathology, gynaecological cytology; immunohistochemical and histochemical tests)
• NordiQC Quality Program (immunohistochemical tests)
• ESP Lung EQA Quality Program (PD-L1 immunohistochemical tests)
• UK NEQAS PD-L1 Quality Program (PD-L1 immunohistochemical tests)

and in the interlaboratory quality control test Path Vysion FISH Her2 (Abbott Molecular).

Our pathomorphological diagnoses meet the requirements included in the document

“Organizational standards and standards of conduct in pathomorphology” developed by The Polish Society of Pathologists commissioned by the Ministry of Health and are based on guidelines of “The College of American Pathologists”.

• Residency

The Department of Cancer Pathology and Pathomorphology provides specialist training at the highest level. Our goal is to provide the best possible conditions for learning and use the knowledge and experience of specialists with many years of professional experience. Thanks to work in one of the leading oncology centres in Poland and a Department with the highest level of reference, residents have access to a large number of different cases, including consultation cases. This allows to gain extensive professional experience and offers an opportunity to see not only the basic cases, but also the extremely rare ones.

Our residents gain great opportunities for development and gain experience by working annually with 200,000 histopathological microscopic preparations, 50,000 immunohistochemical tests, 3,000 intraoperative tests and 20,000 cytological preparations.

Residents also have the opportunity to participate in research, publish papers and present their results at conferences.

Talk to the resident
If you have any doubts and would like to talk to one of our residents about what work in our department looks like, write to the address: zpnip@co.bydgoszcz.pl

• Scientific research

Members of our team conduct extensive research and development activities.

Working with specialists in various fields, we introduce innovations in both diagnostics and treatment of neoplastic diseases.

We regularly improve our qualifications by training at renowned universities (Harvard Medical School, University of Minnesota).

We work with leading centres in the country, including Greater Poland Cancer Centre, University Hospital in Krakow, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Medical University of Gdańsk.

We use the latest technology (prototype software with the use of artificial intelligence for image analysis).

At the centre of our interests are: trajectories of cancer evolution, artificial intelligence, prognostic and predictive factors of breast cancer, as well as immunotherapy.

Being among the leading pathomorphology departments, we co-created the National Standards and Guidelines in Pathomorphology, which are part of the PO WER program entitled “Support for the process of quality improvement in pathomorphology by implementing accreditation standards and strengthening the competences of the management of medical entities” financed by the Ministry of Health.

Moreover, together with the National Consultant in the field of pathomorphology, we have developed nationwide guidelines for the treatment of breast cancer.

Most important publications:

1. Targeting the Deterministic Evolutionary Trajectories of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel). 2020, 12, 3300, doi:10.3390/cancers12113300.
2. TRIP13 predicts poor prognosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Am. J. Cancer Res. 2020, 10, 2909–2918.
3. PD-L1 expression in triple-negative breast cancer: a cross-sectional study in a Polish population. Polish J. Pathol. 2020, 71, 301–306, doi:10.5114/pjp.2020.103710.
4. Clinical implications of the pathomorphological response in HER2-positive and triple-negative breast cancer after preoperative systemic (neoadjuvant) treatment. Oncology in Clinical Practice. 2020, 6, 1-5
5. The clinical, prognostic and therapeutic significance of liver cancer stem cells and their markers. Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol. 2021;45(3):101664. doi: 10.1016/j.clinre.2021.101664
6. The prognostic value of leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein (Lgr5) and its impact on clinicopathological features of colorectal cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2020 146, 2547–2557. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-020-03314-7
7. Expression Levels of IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-17RA, and IL-17RC in Prostate Cancer with Taking into Account the Histological Grade according to Gleason Scale in Comparison to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: In Search of New Therapeutic Options”, Journal of Immunology Research, 2020, 2020, 7. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/4910595

The most important congress presentations:
1. Overexpression of TRIP13 Predicts Poor Prognosis in Patients with Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
XXI Congress of the Polish Society of Pathologists
Lublin, September 26 – 28, 2019
2. Kif11 as a poor prognostic factor in clear cell renal cell carcinoma
32nd Congress of the European Society of Pathology and XXXIII International Congress of the International Academy of Pathology
Glasgow, UK, December 6-8, 2020
3. Clinical relevance of BRAF V600E mutation status in brain tumors: a review of evidence and directions for the management
32nd Congress of the European Society of Pathology and XXXIII International Congress of the International Academy of Pathology
Glasgow, UK, December 6-8, 2020
4. ACO2 expression as a common characteristic of primary and metastatic renal cell carcinoma
33rd European Congress of Pathology
Online, August 29 – 312021

• Contact information

The Secretariat of the Department of Cancer Pathology and Pathomorphology is open:
Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:05 p.m.
phone number: (52) 374 33 43
e-mail: zpnip@co.bydgoszcz.pl

Correspondence address:
Department of Cancer Pathology and Pathomorphology
Oncology Centre prof. Franciszek Łukaszczyk
(Zakład Patologii Nowotworów i Patomorfologii
Centrum Onkologii im. prof. Franciszka Łukaszczyka)
Romanowskiej Street number 2
85-796 Bydgoszcz