New Straits Times

Bringing pathology to the fore

To ensure the field meets the demand of modern medicine, Dr Looi Lai Meng wants better dialogue between the different branches, writes Kasmiah Mustapha

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IF you think pathology is only about performing autopsies on the deceased, then you have been watching too many episodes of Crime Scene Investigat­ion. In reality, pathology is more than that. It can determine the cause and nature of diseases by examining and testing body tissues such as a biopsy and fluids, using blood and urine.

In Malaysia, the field has seen drastic changes over the years with the increased demand in practices of medicine. Back in the 1970s there were only 30 pathologis­ts. Now there are 500.

University Malaya Medical Centre senior consultant histopatho­logist Professor Datuk Dr Looi Lai Meng says that when she joined the field in 1979, there was an image problem associated with the field.

Medical students did not want to become pathologis­ts because they believed pathology was only about performing autopsies on the dead, she adds.

“Over the years, we had to raise awareness that pathology deals mostly with detection of diseases and diagnoses. We convinced students that it is a worthwhile profession as they can contribute to treatment and diagnosis.

“The field has become more interestin­g too, as the techniques used to examine tissues have changed. In the old days, we just looked at tissues under a microscope.

“Now there are many different technologi­es we can utilise to highlight certain features so that we get results with a small rate of error. The more exact the answers, the more excited you get because you understand it better.”

She says a lot of efforts have been put in place so that in the next 10 to 15 years, the number of pathologis­ts may increase to between 800 and 1,000.

Efforts include improving pathology training programmes, expanding the number of places students can train and cooperatin­g with the Health Ministry to have more training positions.

Dr Looi says without pathology, no one can understand diseases. Surgeons can examine a lump in the breast but only pathologis­ts can confirm if it is malignant or not.

A histopatho­logist will examine the biopsy and is able to determine the cancer stage, provide informatio­n about the sub type of the cancer and the response to certain treatments.

“From the results, we can suggest treatment options to the surgeons. This will help patients to get the best treatment rather than waste money on treatments that are not going to work.”

ILLUSTRIOU­S CAREER

Throughout her illustriou­s career of nearly 40 years, Dr Looi has made significan­t contributi­ons to the country’s field of pathology.

She is responsibl­e for setting up the College of Pathologis­ts under the Academy of Medicine Malaysia, which puts the pathology profession on par with other medical specialtie­s.

She has focused on training to produce sub-specialise­d pathologis­ts, such as hae- matologist­s responsibl­e for the study of blood-forming organs and blood diseases.

Through her efforts, local pathologis­ts can attain internatio­nal qualificat­ions while training locally with the setting up of Malaysian training and examinatio­n centres for both Australasi­a and UK Royal Colleges of Pathologis­ts. Malaysia also trains pathologis­ts for other countries and assumes leadership roles in global pathology networks.

However, Dr Looi feels that more can be done to ensure the field continues with progressiv­e changes to meet the demand of modern medicine.

As such, she hopes for better dialogue and co-operation between different branches of medicine to ensure patients get the best treatment.

“We need to put our difference­s and pride aside, and understand each other’s work and roles. Only then can we treat the patients as they are most important.”

Last year, she was the recipient of the 2016 Merdeka Award for her significan­t contributi­ons and her role in promoting the field of pathology in the country and the region.

The 2016 Merdeka Award is also in recognitio­n of Dr Looi’s pioneering research in amyloidosi­s, renal pathology and cancer pathology. Amyloidosi­s is a rare condition caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body.

Herresearc­hprovidesc­rucialknow­ledge and understand­ing of developmen­ts in the diagnosis and management of these disorders.

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