Pathology and cancer policy

•Good quality cancer care is highly dependent on good quality pathology.•Capacity and capability of pathology through much of the world is highly variable.•The key issue appears to be the low profile and low importance assigned to pathology.•There is growing awareness that this situation is highly detrimental and must be addressed.•Possible solutions are starting to evolve, some of which are outlined.

Good quality pathology is a critical component of good quality cancer care. In much of the world, unfortunately, pathology provision is both of patchy distribution and of variable standard, undermining care of the cancer patient. This appears to be a result of a failure to recognise the critical importance of pathology with consequent low profile and low resource allocation. To address this, a campaign of advocacy with proposals for possible solutions is needed.