Cytogenetics Website
Tumour samples 
Tumour Section
Regional Cytogenetics Department
St James’s Hospital
Leeds
LS9 7TF
Head of section: Paul Roberts
Telephone: 0113 206 5817
Email: paul.roberts@leedsth.nhs.uk
Types of referrals
A cytogenetic service is provided for the following referrals:
• All diagnostic paediatric (ie aged 16 and under) tumours or suspected tumours.
• Follow-up (ie relapsed) paediatric tumours if applicable.
• Selected adult tumours, by agreement with the laboratory.
Sample Required
• Open biopsies from the tumour itself are preferred.
•Sample size is important, and the chances of obtaining a successful result increases with biopsies above 5mm in diameter.
• True cut biopsies and fine needle aspirates will also be accepted if no open biopsy is available, although smaller sized samples can result in a higher failure rate.
• Where consent for research is available, surplus tumour tissue from paediatric patients will be stored for possible future research or development purposes, in line with the agreed St James's Hospital Paediatric Oncology tumour storage pathway.
• Where appropriate, other fluids where tumour infiltration is known or suspected may be sent. These include pleural effusions, cerebro-spinal fluid, bone marrow, blood and cystic fluid.
• Where infiltration into blood or bone marrow is known or suspected, such samples will be dealt with by the Haematology section of the laboratory.
• Paraffin sections can be used if a specific chromosome abnormality detectable by fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) studies is suspected. Sections should be 4µm thick on positively charged slides.
•For a DNA based test such as MLPA, fresh or snap frozen tissue is preferred for DNA extraction. Requests for such testing should be made directly to the laboratory.
Sample Transport
• Samples should be addressed to
Cytogenetics Unit,
St. James’s Hospital,
Beckett Street,
Leeds
LS9 7TF
Fresh samples
• Cytogenetic analysis requires living cells. Please ensure that the sample reaches us as quickly as possible (within 24 hours). First class post is satisfactory.
• Samples should be placed in sterile, fresh (ie less than one month since opening) culture medium - this should ideally be Ham’s F10, but any balanced salt solution is acceptable. Transport medium is available from the laboratory on request. On no account should samples be transported in formalin.
• Samples should be placed in sterile containers, ideally plastic universals.
• Samples from within St James’s should be sent in sealed plastic bags, with the request card protected from the sample.
• Samples from other hospitals should be placed in taped absorbent boxes containing appropriate padding and packing.
• Request cards should be protected from samples.
• Samples should arrive within 24 hours of the biopsy being taken.
• For samples taken late on Friday or early Saturday, efforts should be made to get them to the laboratory before 11am on Saturday.
• Where delays over 24 hours are unavoidable, eg for biopsies taken on Saturday afternoon or Sunday, samples should be refrigerated and sent to the laboratory to arrive on the next working day.
Paraffin sections
• Paraffin sections should be packed in suitable slide containers and placed in a taped box containing appropriate padding and packaging.
ALL PACKAGES MUST CONFORM TO POST OFFICE REGULATIONS
(Copies are available from the Post Office)
Reporting of Results
• There are currently no NEQAS guidelines on report times for solid tumours. The laboratory aims to report new, diagnostic paediatric tumours within 7 days, follow up paediatric tumors within 14 days, and adult tumours within 28 days. Priority can be adjusted in line with clinical urgency and the need to present at MDT meetings.
• Some urgent direct FISH results can be reported within 2-3 days of sample receipt.
• Complex or difficult to interpret abnormalities and other selected samples may require fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) to resolve the karyotype, this may delay some results.
• The majority of FISH probes used are obtained commercially. In cases where no commercial probes are available, it may be possible for the department to produce its own "home-grown" FISH probes.
• Results are sent to the referring clinician. Where directly relevant, abnormal results may be telephoned prior to the written report being sent and the interpretation and implication discussed.
• In response to telephone enquiries, only normal results or those which confirm a previous finding are given to a clinicians secretary or the clinic sister. All other results are only given to clinicians.
Last updated: 16/5/11