Shipping Instructions

Whole blood, bone marrow aspirate, and body fluid specimens must arrive within 14 days of collection.

Specimen Required

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

Specimen Type: Bone marrow aspirate

Container/Tube:

Preferred: Lavender or pink top EDTA) or yellow top (ACD)

Acceptable: Green top (sodium heparin)

Specimen Volume: 2 mL

Collection Instructions:

1. Invert several times to mix bone marrow.

2. Send bone marrow specimen in original tube. Do not aliquot.

3. Label specimen as bone marrow.

Specimen Stability Information: Ambient (preferred) 14 days/Refrigerate

Specimen Type: Whole blood

Container/Tube:

Preferred: Lavender or pink top (EDTA) or yellow top (ACD)

Acceptable: Green top (sodium heparin)

Specimen Volume: 3 mL

Collection Instructions:

1. Invert several times to mix peripheral blood.

2. Send whole blood specimen in original tube. Do not aliquot.

3. Label specimen as peripheral blood.

Specimen Stability Information: Ambient (preferred) 14 days/Refrigerate

Specimen Type: Paraffin-embedded tissue

Container/ Tube: Paraffin block

Collection Instructions:

1. Send 1 representative slide stained with hematoxylin and eosin

2. Minimum amount of tumor nuclei is 20%

3. Required amount of tissue area is at least 25 mm(2)

4. Tissue should be fixed in 10% neutral-buffered formalin. Other fixatives are not acceptable.

5. Decalcified specimens (eg, bone marrow core biopsies) are not acceptable.

Specimen Stability Information: Ambient

Specimen Type: Tissue slide

Slides: 10 unstained slides

Container/ Tube: Transport in plastic slide holders.

Collection Instructions:

1. Send 10 unstained, nonbaked slides with 5-micron thick sections of tissue and 1 representative slide stained with hematoxylin and eosin.

2. Minimum amount of tumor nuclei is 20%

3. Required amount of tissue area is at least 25 mm(2)

4. Tissue should be fixed in 10% neutral-buffered formalin. Other fixatives are not acceptable.

5. Decalcified specimens (eg, bone marrow core biopsies) are not acceptable.

Specimen Stability Information: Ambient

Specimen Type: Frozen tissue

Container/Tube: Plastic container

Specimen Volume: 100 mg

Collection Instructions: Freeze tissue within 1 hour of collection

Specimen Stability Information: Frozen 

Specimen Type: Body fluid

Container/Tube: Sterile container

Specimen Volume: 5 mL

Specimen Stability Information: Refrigerated 14 days/Frozen

Specimen Type: Extracted DNA

Container/Tube: 1.5- to 2-mL tube

Specimen Volume: Entire specimen

Collection Instructions:

1. Label specimen as extracted DNA and source of specimen.

2. Indicate volume and concentration of DNA on label.

Specimen Stability Information: Frozen (preferred)/Refrigerated/Ambient