Specimen Preparation Instructions

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Collect Sufficient Specimen

  • All samples should be formalin-fixed
  • Sufficient tissue must be available to complete all analysis
  • Total surface area needed >50mm2, 4μm thick
  • Tissue from the most recent tumour biopsy or recurrence is recommended (6-12 months old)

Fixed Specimen

Paraffin Block (Preferred)

 

Specimen Options:

  • One (5mm x 5mm) block
  • Four to six core needle biopsies (18- gauge preferred)
  • One block (> 20% tumour nuclei) of Fine Needle Aspirate or Malignant Fluid

Unstained Slides

 

Specimen Requirements:

  • 44 slides
  • 5mm x 5mm x 4μm tissue/slide. (For small biopsies (tissue area < 5 mm x 5 mm) please cut two sections per slide for at least one half of the slides to ensure sufficient material for molecular assays.)

 

Verify Tumour Content

Cancer Cell Density needed for NGS

  • Minimum 50ng DNA ( ≥ 20% tumour origin)

Tissue Inspection and Cell Enrichment

When possible, Caris Life Sciences® will microdissect specimen with < 50% cancer cells to increase the Cancer Cell Density for higher quality testing. If the tissue on the slide has a large percent of tumour, the DNA can be obtained from a fewer number of slides.

Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded (FFPE) Samples

SPECIMEN TYPE SPECIMEN REQUIREMENTS
Fixed Tissue One (1) tumour-containing formalin fixed paraffin embedded block (FFPE) from most recent surgery or biopsy. Successive four (4) micron sections will be created from the block until sufficient material for the testing orders is obtained. For the molecular analysis, tumour cells will be excised by microdissection until a total area of at least 50mm2 is obtained.
Unstained Slides Unstained, positively charged, unbaked slides from one single, tumour-containing formalin fixed paraffin embedded block; 4 micron sections

  • MI Profile™ – 44 slides

Note: At least a 5mm x 5mm section of tissue per slide is required. For small biopsies (tissue area < 5 mm x 5 mm) please cut two sections per slide for at least one half of the slides to ensure sufficient material for molecular assays.
Core Needle Biopsy Four to six (4-6) biopsies formalin fixed paraffin embedded

  • 18 gauge needle preferred
 Fine Needle Aspirate (FNA)  One (1) formalin fixed paraffin embedded block containing sufficient tumour

 

  Download this information in pdf format “Specimen Preparation Instructions”

 

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Created: February 28, 2017 - Modified: March 13, 2018