FFPE Tissue Submissions 

1. CRIS orders for both Molecular and Surgical Pathology

All FFPE tissues to be performed for molecular pathology testing should be submitted routinely through Surgical Pathology. It is essential to submit a concurrent Surgical Pathology CRIS if the tissue has not been reviewed by the Laboratory of Pathology.

For all patient orders to have results available in the CRIS system, it is necessary to enter the order into the CRIS system.

2. Specimen and Handling Requirements

 1. A new tissue specimen is being submitted from a procedure performed at the NIH Clinical Center or outside. In this case, two separate CRIS orders are required - one for surgical pathology or     cytopathology to request routine pathology services, and a second CRIS order for the molecular pathology test needed. Please also indicate in the special instructions box on the surgical   pathology or cytopathology CRIS order that molecular testing is being requested on the sample and, if appropriate, that tissue should be prioritized for molecular testing.

 2. For cases that have been already been signed out by LP, the tissue specimens are retained in LP. A single molecular pathology CRIS order is required to trigger the molecular   testing.  Please indicate the LP surgical case number in the Special Instructions, if known (this number can be obtained from the LP pathology report).

 3. All specimens from in-house surgery and outside materials (surgical specimens, tissue blocks, stained and unstained slides, and outside reports) are to be brought directly   to General Surgical Pathology office - 10/Room 2S262 (open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM).  The molecular diagnostics laboratory cannot accession cases.

 4. Paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from outside must be formalin fixed (non-decalcified) and less than 10 years old. You may submit either a tissue block or a minimum of 10 unstained slides containing >20% tumor for surgical pathology review. Keep in mind that copy number alteration assessment will be compromised below 50% tumor content. DNA tests from 5-10 years old tissue have a significantly higher failure rate. RNA testing will not be performed for tissue more than 5 years old.