Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was diagnosed with pleomorphic liposarcoma – a type of rare soft tissue cancer (sarcoma) composed of malignant fat cells. This particular form of liposarcoma is the least common type comprising less than 5 percent of liposarcomas and less than 1 percent of all types of sarcoma.

Jerad Gardner, MD, FCAP, is a board-certified pathologist specializing in dermatopathology and bone/soft tissue sarcoma pathology. He is an assistant professor of Pathology and Dermatology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Dr. Gardner is media trained and available to answer such questions as:

• How is liposcaroma diagnosed? • How does a pathologist work with surgeons and oncologists to guide treatment of liposcaroma?• What is the survival rate of a person who has been diagnosed with liposarcoma?• What are the chances for recurrence or spread of the tumor elsewhere in the body?• What are the symptoms, or warning signs, of liposarcoma?

Dr. Gardner is also the program director of the UAMS dermatopathology fellowship program and clinical co-director of the musculoskeletal/skin module for the UAMS College of Medicine. In addition to his clinical and educational duties, he is engaged in clinical research and national/international lecturing on the topics of bone and soft tissue tumors and skin disease.

Dr. Gardner obtained his MD from Tulane University in New Orleans, completed residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at Houston Methodist Hospital, and completed fellowships in bone/soft tissue pathology and dermatopathology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. His bone/soft tissue fellowship was under the direction of Dr. Sharon Weiss, a world renowned expert in sarcoma pathology.

Role of the PathologistSometimes called the “doctor’s doctor,” pathologists are physicians who use laboratory medicine to examine cells, tissues, and body fluids to identify and diagnose disease, from pre-birth to after death. They work with other physicians on the patient care team to guide treatment for medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, and infectious disease. The results of pathology and laboratory medicine comprise as much as 70 percent of the information in a patient’s health record.

About the College of American PathologistsAs the leading organization with more than 18,000 board-certified pathologists, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. The CAP’s Laboratory Improvement Programs, initiated 65 years ago, currently has customers in more than 100 countries, accrediting 7,600 laboratories and providing proficiency testing to 20,000 laboratories worldwide. Find more information about the CAP at cap.org. Follow CAP on Twitter: @pathologists.

MEDIA CONTACT
Register for reporter access to contact details