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confer the prognosis and dictate the management. The tissue
sampled also provided materials for tests to predict response to
therapy and for research.2 Materials
- Collect the specimen along with a completed pathology
request form and prepare tissue cassettes. - The specimen should be received fresh and as quick as possible
after surgery if fresh tissue is needed. The fresh sample is for
research purposes such as tissue banking or animal implant. - The specimen should be properly fixed in 10% formalin after
item 2. The specimen should preferably fix for approximately
24 h. Longer fixation time of tissue in formalin will affect the
accuracy of ancillary testing, e.g., immunohistochemistry. - Standard personal protection and dissection equipment.
3 Methods
- Put on the personal protection equipment, prepare the dissec-
tion equipment, check the identification matches on request
form, specimen container label, and cassettes, and check dicta-
tion equipment (see Note 1). - Prepare the fresh specimen for fixation:
Photograph the intact specimen, open the esophagus and
stomach if possible (Fig. 1 ), and then photograph the mucosa.
Tissue banking of fresh tissue may be performed at some insti-
tutions for research (see Note 2). - Descriptions and measurements are usually performed after
fixation. The following should be considered the standard of
description and the minimum data set for macroscopic findings
[ 4 – 7 ] (see Note 3):
Type of resection.
Length of tubular esophagus (in millimeter).
Length of greater curve stomach (in millimeter).
Tumor site (see Note 4).
Proximal edge of tumor to proximal end of specimen (in
millimeter).
Distal edge of tumor to gastro-esophageal junction (in
millimeter).
Midpoint of tumor to gastro-esophageal junction (in millime-
ter) (see Note 5).
Benjamin M. Allanson and M. Priyanthi Kumarasinghe