SPECIMEN COLLECTION AND STORAGE FOR DIAGNOSTIC MOLECULAR PATHOLOGY INVESTIGATION

The success of the newest discipline in the diagnostic clinical pathol ogy laboratory, molecular pathology, is dependent on proper collection and storage of both the original and processed (nucleic acid) specime n. This issue will grow in importance as test volumes increase in the diagnostic molecular pathology laboratory. This review is a distillati on of a literature review by the Patient Preparation and Specimen Hand ling Committee of the College of American Pathologists. It describes s pecific collection, storage, and anticoagulant or preservative require ments based on the diagnostic molecular technique and/or specimen type used for analysis. This review serves as a guide for clinical laborat ories interested in appropriate collection and storage of specimens to be used in nucleic acid-based analysis.