The pathology of a parotid tumor is a critical component in determining the proper diagnosis, treatment, and management of parotid tumors. Patients rarely get the opportunity to learn about all the work that goes on behind the scenes by pathologists as they try to properly identify and classify parotid tumors.

In this episode, Dr. Joaquin Garcia, a Professor of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota joins us to provide us with a comprehensive overview of what happens once a pathologist receives a parotid tissue sample, and how they ultimately arrive at the final diagnosis that patients will see in their pathology reports.

Dr. Garcia will explain the different types of pathology, the challenges of identifying and classifying parotid tumors, the reasons there are so many parotid tumor types, information contained in pathology reports, and much more!

Listen in for valuable insights from Dr. Garcia!

Key Talking Points of the Episode:

• The number of parotid tumor types
  
  
• Reasons parotid tumors can be difficult to identify and classify
  
  
• Process of reviewing parotid tissue samples
  
  
• Most common benign and malignant parotid tumors
  
  
• FNA, Frozen Section Pathology, and Final Pathology
  
  
• Understanding pathology reports

Key Quotes from the Episode:

“Making the distinction between benign and malignant in parotid gland tumors often requires you understanding the entire context; how that tumor relates to its normal surroundings.”

“The pleomorphic adenoma, we think, we suspect, that as much as 10% of those tumors that if you sit on them, let them smolder, can undergo malignant transformation; turn into cancer.”

“What I am trying to get intra-operatively with frozen section pathology is I am trying to get the intra-operative management right. So, I don’t want to inspire my surgical colleagues to do too much, and I don’t want to inspire them to do too little.”

“It comes down to experience. You want to make sure your pathologist has a lot of experience with salivary gland tumors.”

“We absolutely have to get the management correct to give our patients the best opportunity to be successful in their lives.

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