thanks for the info Donna.
patsy

"Willis, Donna" wrote:

> An ASR is an Analytic Specific Reagent.
>
> I am going to state from the package inserts from both Pathway and
> Herceptest the Specimen Preparation times.
>
> Herceptest
> Tissues preserved in neutral buffered formalin or Bouin's for routine
> processing and paraffin embedding, are suitable for use.  For example,
> specimens from the biopsy should be blocked into a thickness or 3 or 4 mm
> and fixed for 18-24 hours in neutral buffered formalin.  The tissues are
> then dehydrated in a series of alcohols and xylene, followed by infiltration
> by melted paraffin held at no more than 60C.
>
> Pathway
> The recommended fixative is 10% neutral buffered formalin.  The amount used
> is 15 to 20 times the volume of tissue.  No fixative will penetrate more
> than 2 to 3 mm of solid tissue or 5 mm of porous tissue in a 24 hour period.
> A 3 mm or smaller section of tissue should be fixed no less than 4 hours and
> no more than 8 hours.  Fixation can be performed at room temperature
> (15-25C)
>
> Donna Willis
> Histology Lab Manager
> Harris Methodist Fort Worth, Texas
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: RSRICHMOND@aol.com [mailto:RSRICHMOND@aol.com]
> Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2002 4:02 PM
> To: histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
> Subject: Re: Breast specimens
>
> Donna Willis responds:
>
> >>Since we use HER2/neu in our lab as an ASR, I have done a little more
> research on the formalin fixation and you are correct. The Herceptest and
> Pathway package inserts/protocols are very detailed about the amount of time
>
> that a sample must be formalin fixed.<<
>
> What is the amount of time the specimen must be left in formalin? Does the
> amount of time demand overnight fixation? Good thing if it did.
>
> What's an ASR?
>
> Bob Richmond
> Samurai Pathologist
> Knoxville TN