A pathology test is the testing of bodily tissues or fluids such as blood, urine, or faeces to determine the presence of a disease or to investigate it further. Pathology is the study of disease, including its causes and progression.
When you are sick or need to be screened for an illness, the results of your pathology tests will usually be used to diagnose a health condition and decide your treatment plan, or to let you know that no disease is present. While your healthcare provider will take care of this process for you, you may want to understand what to expect and why you need the test.
There are many reasons to have a pathology test, including but not limited to, treating or monitoring disease, preventing diseases, assessing the risk of developing a disease and aiding medical research. If you have been ordered to have a pathology test by your doctor, it is usually for one of these reasons.