National Health System Support Services
Molecular Diagnostics
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Molecular Diagnostics/ Molecular Pathology Programme
- Contact
+(34) 917 328 052
The function of the molecular diagnostic section is to determine changes in sequence or expression levels in crucial genes involved in cancer. The Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory (MDL) offers a wide variety of molecular assays for cancer diagnosis and disease monitoring such as PCR, quantitative PCR, and sequencing. In order to achieve its function, the section of molecular diagnosis has a professional personnel with extensive experience in molecular biology. In addition, it has several techniques of molecular biology characterized by high sensitivity, allowing for early diagnosis before the clinical manifestation of cancer and for determination of the presence of minimal residual disease in patients in clinical remission. The quantitative character of these techniques also allows for follow-up to the response to therapy by means of the analysis of the expression of certain genes throughout the treatment. This section can also determine the presence of mutations in oncogenes and surface receptors, further aiding in diagnosis and, in some cases, predicting the response of tumors to drugs used in chemotherapy protocols.
Specimen Requirements
Timely delivery/notification is essential. Please call for all incoming specimens (917 328 052).
If you need additional information, please contact us +34 912 246 917.
- DNA / RNA Requirements
- DNA and RNA can be sent. Minimum 5 micrograms.
- RNA samples should be treated with DNAse I to remove any DNA contamination.
- Specimens should be shipped refrigerated (4ºC) or frozen.
- Peripheral Blood Requirements/Bone Marrow Requirements
- Draw whole blood in EDTA tube (lavender top). Blood: 5-20 ml for adults; Bone marrow: 2-3 ml.
- Ship specimen at room temperature. The tissue should be delivered within 6 hours of extraction.
- Overnight shipments of specimens should be refrigerated (maximum 16 hours of extraction).
- Tissue Requirements
Timely delivery/notification is essential. Please call for all incoming specimens.
- Tissue requirements:
- For paraffin blocks, please send the entire block and a Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stained slide.
- For tissue sections, please send 10 unstained 4-micron formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections on electrostatically charged slides containing representative tumor.
- Tissue specimens should be shipped at room temperature.
- Special Requirements: For MSI studies 10 formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections (4-micron) are required along with 4.0 ml of EDTA peripheral blood or normal tissue from the same patient.
- Tissue requirements:
