PROVIDER TOOLS

Specimen Requirements

At Cairo Diagnostics, we assign a professional client services representative to assure you receive the highest level of support and service. Your professional client services representative is highly trained to answer all questions related to test information, specimen requirements and your patients results. Your professional client services representatives may offer you more access by connecting you with a technical or medical expert if necessary. Below is a list of our specimen requirements for every test we offer. If you still have questions, your professional client services representative will be happy to take your call at 914-339-5000

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pecimen Requirements cairo diagnostics

Specimen

Submission Requirements

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MORPHOLOGY
$

Bone Marrow Core

VOLUME/#:

1-2cm in length

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

10% Neutral Buffered Formalin (NBF)

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Room Temperature

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

Indefinitely

NOTES:

  • Saturate core completely with fixative.
  • Ensure vial is tightly capped to prevent formalin fume contamination of smears.
$

Bone Marrow Clot

VOLUME/#:

-

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

10% Neutral Buffered Formalin (NBF)

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Room Temperature

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

Indefinitely

NOTES:

  • Saturate core completely with fixative.
  • Ensure vial is tightly capped to prevent formalin fume contamination of smears.
$

Bone Marrow Aspirate Slides

VOLUME/#:

Five (5) unstained, unfixed aspirate smears

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

Plastic Slide Holder

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Room Temperature

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

Indefinitely

NOTES:

  • Ensure at least one spicule on each slide and feathered edges.*
  • Allow slides to air-dry completely before placing in plastic slide holder.
HISTOLOGY (GENERAL H&E STAINS)
$

Fresh Tissue

VOLUME/#:

Primarily tumor tissue

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

10% Neutral Buffered Formalin (NBF)

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Room Temperature

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

Indefinitely

NOTES:

  • Saturate core completely with fixative.
  • Label with patient name, DOB, and collection date.
$

FFPE Tissue

VOLUME/#:

-

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

FFPE Cassette

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Room Temperature

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

Indefinitely

NOTES:

  • Include cold pack in extreme heat.
$

Unstained Slides

VOLUME/#:

Five (5) unstained, formalin-fixed slides

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

Plastic Slide Holder

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Room Temperature

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

Indefinitely

NOTES:

  • Include cold pack in extreme heat.
HISTOLOGY (IHC AND SPECIAL STAINS)
$

Fresh Tissue

VOLUME/#:

Primarily tumor tissue

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

10% Neutral Buffered Formalin (NBF)

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Room Temperature

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

Indefinitely

NOTES:

  • Saturate core completely with fixative.
  • Label with patient name, DOB, and collection date.
$

FFPE Tissue

VOLUME/#:

-

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

FFPE Cassette

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Room Temperature

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

Indefinitely

NOTES:

  • Include cold pack in extreme heat.
$

Unstained Slides

VOLUME/#:

Two (2) unstained, formalin-fixed slides

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

Plastic Slide Holder

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Room Temperature

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

Indefinitely

NOTES:

  • Include cold pack in extreme heat.
HISTOLOGY CONSULT
$

FFPE Tissue

VOLUME/#:

Block

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

FFPE Cassette

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Room Temperature

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

Indefinitely

NOTES:

  • Include cold pack in extreme heat.
OR
$

Unstained Slides

VOLUME/#:

Fifteen (15) unstained, formalin-fixed slides

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

Plastic Slide Holder

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Room Temperature

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

Indefinitely

NOTES:

  • Include cold pack in extreme heat.
FLOW CYTOMETRY
$

Bone Marrow Aspirate

VOLUME/#:

1-2ml

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

Green top (sodium heparin) tube preferred, OR purple top (EDTA) tube

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Room Temperature

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

48 Hours

NOTES:

  • Hemolyzed, frozen or clotted samples may be rejected.
$

Peripheral Blood

VOLUME/#:

2-5ml

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

Green top (sodium heparin) tube preferred, OR purple top (EDTA) tube

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Room Temperature

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

Indefinitely

NOTES:
-

$

Fresh Tissue

VOLUME/#:

1cm3 marble-sized piece of tissue

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

RPMI or sterile saline

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Refrigerated

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

24 hour

NOTES:

  • Immerse tissue completely in chosen solution.
  • Label with patient name, DOB, and collection date.
  • DO NOT use RPMI past expiration date.
  • Ship on cold pack.
$

Fluid

VOLUME/#:

10ml

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

RPMI

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Refrigerated

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

24 hour

NOTES:

  • Label with patient name, DOB, and collection date.
  • DO NOT use RPMI past expiration date.
  • Ship on cold pack.
FLOW CYTOMETRY – PNH
$

SPECIMEN TYPE

Peripheral Blood

$

VOLUME / #

2-3ml

$

TRANSPORT MEDIUM

Green top (sodium heparin) tube preferred, OR purple top (EDTA) tube

$

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE

Room Temperature

$

SPECIMEN STABILITY

48 Hours

$

Notes

No Notes

FISH
$

Bone Marrow & Peripheral Blood

VOLUME/#:

1~2ml

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

Green top (Sodium Heparin) tube OR Lavender top (EDTA) tube, Smears or Cytospin

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Room Temperature

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

120 Hours

NOTES:

  • DO NOT FREEZE.
$

Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded Tissue (FFPET)

VOLUME/#:

Block

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

FFPE Cassette

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Room Temperature

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

Indefinitely

NOTES:

  • Include cold pack in extreme heat..
$

-

VOLUME/#:

Unstained, formalin-fixed slides. One (1) slide per FISH probe and one (1) additional for Pathological evaluation.

TRANSPORT MEDIUM:

Plastic slide holder

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Room Temperature

SPECIMEN STABILITY:

Indefinitely

NOTES:

  • Include cold pack in extreme heat.
KARYOTYPE
$

SPECIMEN TYPE

Bone Marrow (peripheral blood will be accepted in certain disease as CLL or if circulating blood containing more than 10% blasts)

$

VOLUME / #

Bone Marrow is ≥1.5 mL and the Peripheral blood is ≥2 mL if 10% or more blasts are present

$

TRANSPORT MEDIUM

Green top (Sodium Heparin)

$

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE

Room Temperature

$

SPECIMEN STABILITY

72 Hours

$

Notes

No Frozen, Hemolyzed, Washed, in Syringes, in broken container or in different anti-coagulant other than sodium heparin.

MOLECULAR- PCR/NGS
$

SPECIMEN TYPE

Bone Marrow & Peripheral Blood

$

VOLUME / #

1~2ml

$

TRANSPORT MEDIUM

Lavender top (EDTA) tube OR Green top (Sodium Heparin) tube

$

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE

Room Temperature

$

SPECIMEN STABILITY

120 Hours

$

Notes

DO NOT FREEZE

MOLECULAR- SOLID TUMOR
$

SPECIMEN TYPE

FFPE Tissue

$

VOLUME / #

4×10 microns unstained slides

$

TRANSPORT MEDIUM

FFPE Cassette

$

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE

Room Temperature

$

SPECIMEN STABILITY

Indefinitely

$

Notes

Include cold pack in extreme heat.

BRCA1/ BRCA2
$

SPECIMEN TYPE

Peripheral Blood and saliva

$

VOLUME / #

1~2ml for blood, 1.5-2mL of saliva

$

TRANSPORT MEDIUM

Lavender top (EDTA) tube, OR Green top (Sodium Heparin) tube

$

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE

Room Temperature

$

SPECIMEN STABILITY

120 Hours

$

Notes

DO NOT FREEZE

HEREDITARY CANCER
$

SPECIMEN TYPE

Peripheral Blood and saliva

$

VOLUME / #

1~2ml for blood, 1.5-2mL of saliva

$

TRANSPORT MEDIUM

Lavender top (EDTA) tube, OR Green top (Sodium Heparin) tube

$

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE

Room Temperature

$

SPECIMEN STABILITY

120 Hours

$

Notes

DO NOT FREEZE

$

VOLUME / #

  • 1-2cm in length
  • Five (5) unstained, unfixed aspirate smears
$

VOLUME / #

  • 1-2cm in length
  • Five (5) unstained, unfixed aspirate smears
$

VOLUME / #

  • 1-2cm in length
  • Five (5) unstained, unfixed aspirate smears