– Microscope analysis of all cell and tissue samples taken by doctors across various specialties: cytology, biopsy and tissues

• Medical speciality providing services to doctors prescribing histopathology tests.
• Analysis of cell and tissue samples from all departments at the Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace: visceral and orthopaedic surgery, gynaecology-obstetrics, gastroenterology, pneumology, ENT, dermatology, interventional radiology, etc.
• External recruitment by healthcare institutions in the Principality and local private practitioners.
• Histopathology diagnosis by macroscopic examination of samples and microscopic interpretation of lesions. Results obtained by histochemical, immunohistochemical and molecular pathology techniques, essential for classifying tumours, determining prognostic factors and indicating certain therapies in cancerology.
• Extemporaneous examinations carried out during surgical interventions, which impact on the operation in tumoral pathology.
• Immunofluorescence technique applied to cutaneous pathology.
• Liquid-based cytology technique applied for
  – smear tests for screening for viral and neoplastic lesions of the cervix and confirming cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) by molecular biology
  – mediastinal lymph node and pancreatic cytology under echo-endoscopy
• Foetal autopsies (anatomical verifications) carried out by the department’s foetopathologist, in agreement with SOMOTHA (Monaco).
• Development of molecular pathology techniques under the responsibility of the department’s molecular pathology doctor.
• Creation of a tumour library, containing tumour samples frozen and subsequently used to identify tumours using molecular biology techniques.
• Participation by the pathologists in multidisciplinary coordination meetings for oncology and hepato-gastroenterology, for consensus-based therapeutic treatment of patients.
• Public health role, through cervical cancer screening, anonymous malignant tumour data sharing with the Centre for Centralisation of Data and Statistics in Pathological Anatomy (CRISAP PACA Est),
• Participation in research activities with the Solid Tumour Cytogenetic Unit at Nice CHU University Hospital, the Nice Department of Public Health and the Scientific Centre of Monaco.
• In november 2017,the Pathology service has obtain the accreditation by COFRAC according EN ISO 15189 for analysis”coloration HES” (Accréditation n° 8-4148, available www.cofrac.fr)

Head of Service

• Dr Florence DUPRÉ

Staff Physicians

• Dr Isabelle MONTICELLI
• Dr Florence RAGAGE
• Dr Hélène DUVAL
• Dr Antonio MAGGIO
• Dr Carmen-Adina PETCU

Senior Healthcare Executive:

• Mrs Isabelle DENAIS

Healthcare Executive:

• Mr Jean-Michel DAMASCO

• Public opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm
• Technical department open 8am to 6pm for receiving examinations, samples and extemporaneous examinations.
• Pathologists on duty from 8.30am to 6pm.
• Codification of all lesions, allowing systematic searches for histopathological antecedents in patients.
• Priority objectives are quality and speed of sample management, in line with the recommendations of the French Association for Quality Assurance in Pathological Anatomy and Cytology (AFAQAP).
• The Department also takes part in external quality assessments: technical, diagnostic and organisational evaluations to optimise patient care.
• It has applied to Cofrac (French Accreditation Board) for EN NF ISO 15189 certification in 2017.