Hi Nancy, if you are doing breast prognostic markers on your cases, you
might want to let it fix overnight before processing.  The FDA requires it
for Her-2 testing.  No we do not use heat on our formalin steps, but we
require our docs to cut tissue at 3mm or less thickness. So far this has
been working fine with fixing and infiltration.

Good luck,

Juan C. Gutierrez, HT(ASCP)
Precision Pathology Services
210.646.0890

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Nancy
Schmitt
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 9:09 AM
To: 'histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu'
Subject: [Histonet] heat + formalin

Good Morning

Need some input, please.  Does anyone combine heat during the formalin part
of processing?  We are having some issues with breast cases that need to be
read out the next am - we are running them on a shorter processing schedule
(done at 4 am) - and not having the best results.We use a closed system
Tissue-Tek VIP 3000.  Is anybody using microwave fixation?
 I think we will just put them on the longer processor (done at 0630) and be
done - but wanted to check for other options. 

Thanks in advance
Nancy Schmitt
Histology Coordinator
Dubuque, IA


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