ProPath offers particular expertise in these areas, including the determination of the primary site in metastatic tumors of unknown origin, classification of tumors that appear ‘undifferentiated’ by standard light microscopy, precise classification of leukemias and lymphomas in routine specimens, determination of estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, HER-2 overexpression status in breast cancer patients, and identification of micro-metastatic disease in sentinel lymph node biopsies taken from cancer patients.
Our laboratory is also highly skilled in cell transfer and tissue transfer techniques, which allow the performance of batteries of immunostains on previously-stained slide material, when no paraffin block is available. In situ hybridization analysis is available for HPV subtyping and EBV (EBER), and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) is also available for analysis of HER-2 gene amplification status in breast cancer patients.
Thorough measures are taken to ensure and document quality control with every test performed. Multi-tumor sandwich block control sections are placed on the same slide as the diagnostic tissue and run alongside every specimen. These preparations contain up to 80 different tumors of all types, in a compact grid arrangement, that can be mounted on one-half of the stained slide, allowing the interpreting pathologist to easily and quickly ascertain that the test is sensitive, specific, and performing as expected.