Pathology

Pathology is a medical specialty about the study and causes of disease and is integral to the diagnosis of every cancer.

Pathology is a medical specialty about the study and causes of disease and is integral to the diagnosis of every cancer.

Pathologists can also examine changes in tissue, blood and other bodily fluid samples to gain an understanding of the potential for disease development, the cause or severity of disease and/or to monitor the progress of disease, effectiveness of treatment and your general health.

At Peter Mac, the Pathology team uses blood and other tissue samples to help diagnose the tumour type and can also help determine a likely prognosis and inform clinicians about the most appropriate management for a cancer.

Peter Mac’s Pathology team operates a 24-hour on-site service which provides biochemistry, haematology, anatomical pathology and diagnostic molecular pathology. If you have had bloods or specimens collected during any sort of procedure, as an inpatient or in our outpatient pathology clinic at Peter Mac, they will go straight to our on-site pathologists for analysis.

Outpatient Pathology Clinic

Whilst our outpatient service is called 'Pathology' our pathology nurses also offer a range of other services to support our patients, not just blood and specimen collection.

The Outpatient Pathology Clinic provides:

  • blood collection
  • blood taking from a central venous access device
  • central venous access device dressing and cap change
  • cannulation
  • ECG
  • port access/flush
  • specimen collection i.e. urine, swabs


Find a collection centre near me:

There are three preferred blood sampling centres outside of Peter Mac that are able to collect pathology specimens.

The preference to use one of the below listed companies is based on their ability to directly feed result into our new Electronic Medical Record (EMR). This process speeds up access to pathology results for all clinical staff when reviewing results.

It is not essential that you attend one of these sites, especially if travel time and distance is excessive.

  1. Clinical Labs
  2. Dorevitch Pathology  
  3. Melbourne Pathology

REFERRALS

If you require pathology, your specialist will organise a referral for you.

APPOINTMENTS

You do not have to have an appointment to come to the outpatient pathology. Simply take a coloured card depending on the type of test you are having, to help staff see you as quickly and efficiently as possible.

WHAT TO BRING

If you are coming to the outpatient pathology to have a test, your doctor will either organise for a pathology slip to be sent to outpatient pathology or will give you a pathology slip to take with you.

If you doctor has given you a pathology slip, please bring this with you when you come to outpatient pathology so the pathology nurses know what type and how much of each specimen they need to collect, and the pathologists which know which analysis your doctor requires.

FEES

Peter Mac’s Outpatient Pathology is a bulk billing service.

OPENING HOURS

Monday to Friday 8.00am-5.00pm

Location

Pathology

Level 2, 2B Pathology

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

305 Grattan Street

Melbourne VIC 3000

CONTACT

Results

The results phone number for clinicians is (03) 855 97284

If you are a patient and require urgent follow up of your results, please contact your nurse coordinator via switchboard (03) 8559 5000.

Outpatient Pathology

Phone: (03) 8559 8110