[Basic anatomopathological features of tumors and their extensions. Prognostic and therapeutic implications]

Surgical pathology analysis of biopsies or surgical specimens directly determines the diagnosis of the disease. It gives also the different characteristics that are useful for the establishment of the prognosis and for the treatment of each tumor. We report here a synthesis of the different characteristics of neoplastic lesions, necessary or useful for the establishment of the care program of the patients. These macroscopic and microscopic analyses should result in the most precise possible diagnosis and should take into account a list of other factors that allow the development of an optimal strategy for therapy, and the establishment of prognosis of the tumor. These characteristics include properties of the tumor like the size, shape, exact location, and the grade of the lesion, etc. They also concern the relationship of the tumor with certain structures like the basal membranes, the extracapsular extensions, the stroma reaction, the lymphatic vessels, the nerves, etc. The description of local and loco-regional spreading, as well as the analysis of the surgical margins gives also essential information. Sometimes, the description of modifications induced by neoadjuvant therapy, as chemo or radiotherapy, allows the evaluation of the efficiency of these treatments.