For a CL designated for Molecular Pathology only, which areas are included?

For a CL designated for Molecular Pathology only, which areas are included?

• A. Genetics and Immunopathology
• B. Genetics, Immune/Hematopathology, and Infectious Diseases
• C. Cytology
• D. Hematology

Answer: (B)

Molecular pathology centers on testing that detects and analyzes genetic material and other molecular biomarkers to diagnose disease. The areas that fit best in a molecular-pathology-only setting are those where molecular methods are routinely used: genetics (gene mutations, sequencing panels, genomic analyses), immune/hematopathology (clonality testing and other PCR-based immune-related assays, which are used in hematologic malignancies and immune disorders), and infectious diseases (PCR and sequencing to identify pathogens and resistance genes). Together, these three areas rely on nucleic acid–based or other molecular techniques and are core to what a molecular-pathology lab handles. Cytology and hematology, by contrast, are traditionally rooted in cell morphology and routine cell-based testing rather than primarily molecular approaches, so they don’t fit the molecular-pathology-only designation on their own.

Molecular pathology centers on testing that detects and analyzes genetic material and other molecular biomarkers to diagnose disease. The areas that fit best in a molecular-pathology-only setting are those where molecular methods are routinely used: genetics (gene mutations, sequencing panels, genomic analyses), immune/hematopathology (clonality testing and other PCR-based immune-related assays, which are used in hematologic malignancies and immune disorders), and infectious diseases (PCR and sequencing to identify pathogens and resistance genes). Together, these three areas rely on nucleic acid–based or other molecular techniques and are core to what a molecular-pathology lab handles.

Cytology and hematology, by contrast, are traditionally rooted in cell morphology and routine cell-based testing rather than primarily molecular approaches, so they don’t fit the molecular-pathology-only designation on their own.