Specialty Content

Histology / Cellular Pathology specialty

Cellular Pathology covers tissue fixation, processing, microtomy, staining (H&E and special), immunohistochemistry, and case grading.

Where the content lives

• Interview page — /histology-interviews — Band 2 through Band 8 questions
• Embedded guides — tissue fixation and processing, microtomy, H&E staining, special stains, immunohistochemistry (IHC), frozen sections, specimen handling and orientation
• Six grading modules (Premium) — see Histology Grading article:
  • /histology/grading/gleason — prostate (Grade Group 1-5, ISUP 2014/2019)
  • /histology/grading/her2 — breast HER2 IHC (0, 1+, 2+, 3+) + ISH
  • /histology/grading/nottingham — breast Nottingham histological grade
  • /histology/grading/bethesda — cervical cytology
  • /histology/grading/breslow-clark — melanoma
  • /histology/grading/staining-quality — H&E and special-stain QC
• Histology Result Interpretation — /histology/result-interpretation — AI-assisted case interpretation
• Day-in-life — /biomedical-sciences/day-in-life-cellular-pathology-histopathology-biomedical-scientist
• Specialist Portfolio (Cellular Pathology) — /portfolio → Specialist Portfolio → Cellular Pathology. Includes evidence examples at /biomedical-sciences/ibms-specialist-portfolio-cellular-pathology-histopathology.

Key competencies covered

• Tissue fixation (formalin), processing (paraffin embedding)
• Microtomy — section quality, troubleshooting
• H&E and special stains (PAS, trichrome, etc.)
• Immunohistochemistry — antibody selection, controls, interpretation
• Frozen sections — intra-operative consult
• Specimen handling — orientation, dissection, dictation
• Grading (the six modules above)
• Quality assurance — slide quality audit, NEQAS Cellular Pathology

Bands progression

• Band 5 (£32,073-£39,043) — qualified BMS performing tissue processing, microtomy, routine staining
• Band 6 (£39,959-£48,117) — specialist staining, IHC interpretation under supervision, training, validation; usually requires Specialist Portfolio in Cellular Pathology
• Band 7 (£49,387-£56,515) — section lead, complex case review, training officer, MDT contribution
• Advanced Specialist — IBMS Advanced Specialist Diploma (e.g. autopsy practice) for senior roles

Standards alignment

• Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) datasets for each tumour type (current editions)
• ASCO/CAP guidelines for HER2 interpretation
• ISUP 2014 (with 2019 update) Gleason consensus
• WHO Classification of Tumours — latest edition per organ
• Bethesda 2014 (cervical), Bethesda for thyroid where applicable
• ISO 15189:2022 quality framework
• UK NEQAS Cellular Pathology

Common interview question themes (Band 5-7)

• "Walk me through how you would process a complex resection specimen"
• "How would you respond to a stain that is consistently failing QC?"
• "How do you validate a new IHC antibody?"
• "Describe how you would handle a frozen section that contradicts the formalin-fixed report"
• "How does ISUP 2019 modify Gleason grading?"

Pair Practice Tests filtered to Histology with the six grading modules and the Specialist Portfolio tracker for full preparation.