For 11 years, I fought a cancer I had never actually seen. Then, one day, I met it—face to face—on a digital pathology image.

 

In 2006, at age 46, I was diagnosed with breast cancer- Stage IA ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-negative invasive ductal carcinoma—just days after my husband suffered a catastrophic stroke and passed. One week after his funeral, I began treatment at Michigan Medicine. I underwent lumpectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, and long-term hormone therapy. I navigated grief while fighting for my own life.

 

My care team told me my cancer was "no big deal." It was small, caught early, and everything possible had been done. But I had never seen my pathology report or images. I had no visual connection to the enemy inside me. That changed in 2016, when Dr. Jeffrey Myers invited me to view my digital pathology images. He walked me through normal tissue, then my tumor, explaining the staining and hormone receptor status.

 

When he revealed that my cancer was Grade 2 invasive carcinoma, I realized the truth: I had spent years fighting something I had never actually seen. I expected fear.

 

Instead, I felt clarity. Seeing the images transformed my understanding and gave me ownership of my care. It also inspired lifestyle changes—diet, exercise, and weight loss—to reduce inflammation and support long-term health. That moment ignited my advocacy.

 

 

Over 14 years, I've worked to move pathology from the "doctor's doctor" to the patient's doctor—humanizing a field often hidden behind microscopes.

  • I co-chair the Department of Pathology Patient and Family Advisory Council at Michigan Medicine.
  • I am an active member of the Digital Pathology Association Patient Engagement Committee, where I helped shape the PathVisions 2025 conference. My contributions included highlighting the "Pixels to Patients" initiative through patient testimonials, print materials, patient-focused ePoster judging, and my own sessions at PV25.
  • I also advise the American Cancer Society, the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), contribute to MyPathologyReport.ca, and serve on multiple state-level engagement councils.
  • Podcasts, webinars, speeches, and published articles amplify the same message: patients deserve access to their pathology, and the pathologist should never be invisible.

 

Digital pathology is not just a clinical tool—it is a bridge for patients. Seeing their own disease gives clarity, understanding, and empowerment. Programs like the Breast Pathology Consultation Program connect patients to the story behind their care, improving engagement, trust, and adherence. My experience proves that visual access can transform lives. I hold no formal power—but I do have a voice. I will keep using it until every patient can see, and every pathologist remembers the life behind the image.

 

Digital pathology changed my life—and it can change countless others.

 

What can you do? Start somewhere. Patients are counting on you. Contact me: mmmitchell99@gmail.com

 

Michele Mitchell, BS, MS, PMP

Patient Advocate

American Socity for Clinical Pathologist