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Cancer cells found after surgery
Pancreatic Cancer | Last Active: Dec 18, 2025 | Replies (15)Comment receiving replies
@akrhodes7320
As a nurse familiar with OR procedures both on my patients (in recovery room) and myself for several surgeries, yes, tissue samples are sent to Pathology from OR but that in no way has ever been guaranteed to be the final pathology report to my years of experience.
Final pathology report can take up to ?a week.
If something is v unusual the samples may be sent to other locations for extra opinions by specialists in the focus area —> think various cancers - brain, bone, abdominal organs, etc.
The sample taken and examined during surgery even by pathologist is best explained as a “rough” look. Later they will do various thin slices, use dye stains, etc, different technical equipment.
Does this help explain it?
And sadly, sometimes more cancer cells are found and the patient may need to return for further excision etc. Not uncommon in melanoma skin cancers also.
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By the way, one of my grandkids had a brain tumor removed a few years back. First the pathology came back as a Glioblastoma multiforme (hope I spelled that correctly). But then as the tumor was examined more closely it was determined to be something more unusual though pathologists weren’t sure. So then all the path results were seen by about 4 different places across the US who had even more extensive research and experience with potential tumor - probably took 5-6 weeks for a concurrent decision. Turns out it was a form of tumor usually seen in young patients and not adults her age.
So it can be a journey from discovering a tumor to actually learning what it’s all about and how best to treat it…