At our hospital we receive the biopsies in 6 containers, but submit them in
two cassettes as (R) and (L) with apex base and mid marked with Davidson
style dyes.  At cutting we do three levelswith two hold slides in the style
you described in your post. We have noticed an increase in these specimen as
well, but not the scale you describe; also we picked up a couple of outside
urology clinics.
Hope this helps.
Wanda Shotsberger
Harris Methodist Hospital
Fort Worth TX
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From: BAKER.ONALY_R@TAMPA.VA.GOV
To: BAKER.ONALY_R@TAMPA.VA.GOV; HistoNet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: PROSTATE BIOPSY PROTOCOL
Date: Friday, August 06, 1999 4:10PM

THIS IS MY FIRST ATTEMPT TO PARTICIPATE WITH ALL OF YOU AND THIS IS WHAT I
WANT TO KNOW. I AM THE HISTOLOGY SUPERVISOR AT THE TAMPA VA HOSPITAL AND
OF COURSE WE HAVE A VERY LARGE MALE PATIENT POPULATION. IN THE LAST YEAR,
SINCE THE POPULARITY OF THE PSA TEST HAS INCREASED, THE INFLUX OF "6 PACK"
PROSTATE NEEDLE BXS HAS EXPLODED. OUR CURRENT CUTTING PROTOCOL IS TO TAKE
5 LEVELS AT 3 MICRONS, STAIN L1, L3, & L5 H&E AND SAVE L2 & L4 FOR
POSSIBLE KERATIN 903 IHC STAINING. THIS REQUIRES 30 SLIDES PER CASE AND
OUR WORST DAY SO FAR WAS 11 CASES (330 SECTIONS)! THE NUMBER OF TIMES WE
ACTUALLY DO KERATIN 903 IS VERY LOW AND I AM TRYING TO CONVINCE THE
PATHOLOGISTS TO AT LEAST ELIMINATE THE UNSTAINED SLIDES AND ONLY DO 3 H&E
LEVELS. OF COURSE I DO NOT WANT TO DO LESS THAN THE STANDARD OF CARE IN
PRIVATE HOSPITALS. SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND IF YOU
ALSO SEE AN INCREASE OF THIS TYPE OF SPECIMEN. DO YOUR PHYSICIANS COLLECT
THE SPECIMENS IN 2 CONTAINERS WITH APEX, MID, AND BASE FROM LEFT OR RIGHT
IN EACH OR DO THEY SEND THEM SEPARATELY LIKE OURS AS 6 SPECIMENS?