What Is Pre-Analytics in Surgical Pathology? -- Histologic Validation of Vacuum Sealed Formalin -- Free Tissue Preservation and Transport System -- Pre-Analytics and Molecular Pathology -- Experiences in Vacuum Preparation of Routine Specimens -- Tissue Heterogeneity as a Pre-Analytical Source of Variability -- Vacuum Fixation of Breast Specimens Before Grossing -- How Do Short Fixation and Rapid Microwave Processing Affect Her2 Testing? -- Current Projects in Pre-Analytics – Where to Go? -- Nucleic Acid Extraction from FFPE Tissue as Critical Preanalytic Step for NGS Applications -- Experiences With Pre-Analytics of Lung Specimen -- Experiences With Pre-Analytics of GI-Specimen -- Bone Marrow Work-Up -- Two-Temperature Fixation Preserves Activation Status with High Efficiency -- Towards the Lean Lab. The Industry Challenge.  .

This book presents an overview of the most important current developments in the pre-analytical handling of tissue. It addresses in particular potential ways to improve the situation whereby methods employed in the pre-analytical phase – the period from surgical removal of tissue to the start of pathological processing – have remained essentially unchanged for decades with only modest standardization. It is examined how the pre-analytical period can be optimized, resulting not only in an increase in diagnostic quality but also in a reduction in processing time and costs. Among the key topics examined are the so-called cold ischemia time between tissue removal and fixation, the potential superiority of vacuum-based preservation over immediate formalin fixation, two-temperature fixation, molecular analysis methods, and the pre-analytics of specimens from particular tissues. Readers will find this book to be an important update that reveals the full importance of the pre-analytical phase for quality of pathological work-up.