In the article “Chasing a moving train: The general surgery workforce versus population growth in British Columbia, 2012–2022” [BCMJ 2024;66:46-50 [11]], the authors recognize that “[c]ancer care is a resource-intensive area of medicine, requiring not only operating rooms but also oncologists, chemotherapy nurses, and radiation treatment infrastructure.” However, pathology is also critical to cancer care, providing the link between general surgeons and oncologists. Diagnostic imaging is critical as well. Pathology infrastructure is resource-intensive, including physical laboratory resources (space, equipment, reagents, etc.) and skilled professionals (pathologists, pathologist assistants, medical laboratory technologists, cytotechnologists, medical laboratory assistants, and others). 

The pathology workforce is also chasing a moving train. 
—Valerie Taylor, MD, FRCPC, DRCPSC
Kelowna

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