Ordering Guidance

Multiple oncology (cancer) gene panels are available. For more information see Hematology, Oncology, and Hereditary Test Selection Guide.

Necessary Information

Pathology report (final or preliminary), at minimum containing the following information, must accompany specimen for testing to be performed:

1. Patient name

2. Block number-must be on all blocks, slides, and paperwork (can be handwritten on the paperwork)

3. Tissue collection date

4. Source of the tissue

Specimen Required

This assay requires at least 20% tumor nuclei.

-Preferred amount of tumor area with sufficient percent tumor nuclei: tissue 360 mm(2)

-Minimum amount of tumor area: tissue 72 mm(2)

-If ordered in conjunction with CMAPT / Chromosomal Microarray, Tumor, Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded, the preferred amount of tissue is 430 mm(2), the minimum amount is 180 mm(2).

-These amounts are cumulative over up to 15 unstained slides and must have adequate percent tumor nuclei.

-Tissue fixation: 10% neutral buffered formalin, not decalcified

-For specimen preparation guidance, see Tissue Requirement for Solid Tumor Next-Generation Sequencing. For the example in this document, 6 mm x 6 mm x 10 slides are preferred: approximate/equivalent to 360 mm(2) with the minimum acceptable of 4 mm x 4 mm x 10 slides: approximate/equivalent to 144 mm(2).

Preferred:

Specimen Type: Tissue block

Collection Instructions: Submit a formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue block with acceptable amount of tumor tissue.

Acceptable:

Specimen Type: Tissue slide

Slides: 1 stained and 15 unstained

Collection Instructions: Submit 1 slide stained with hematoxylin and eosin and 15 unstained, nonbaked slides with 5-micron thick sections of the tumor tissue.

Note: The total amount of required tumor nuclei can be obtained by scraping up to 15 slides from the same block.

Additional information:

1. If the amount of tissue available is close to the minimum required, the ordering provider may be asked to prioritize between the DNA and RNA components of the assay.

2. Unused unstained slides will not be returned.