We are a research path lab, but we follow the same guidelines. We keep 2 years in the lab and 8 years in off-site storage.
Peggy Sherwood Lab Associate, Photopathology Wellman Center for Photomedicine (EDR 214) Massachusetts General Hospital 50 Blossom Street Boston, MA 02114-2696 617-724-4839 (voice mail) 617-726-6983 (lab) 617-726-1206 (fax) msherw...@partners.org -----Original Message----- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Janice Mahoney Sent: Monday, October 03, 2011 10:23 AM To: rjbu...@yahoo.com; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu; mjdess...@wvhcs.org Subject: RE: [Histonet] Slide/Block Retention CAP standard is 10 years for tissue blocks. I would caution not keeping them for that period for several reasons. One is that it may put you in a bad position regarding legal cases. You could be asked why you don't follow the most strict standard and be expected to explain why. The second is for subsequent patient care. When Her-2 first come on the scene we were pulling blocks from cases older than 2 years old. You never know what new prognostic/predictive markers will appear on the scene. If you don't have the original tumor material you may be doing your patients a disservice. If I had blocks at your institution I would want to keep them myself rather than have them destroyed.Jan M.Omaha > Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2011 07:00:51 -0700 > From: rjbu...@yahoo.com > To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu; mjdess...@wvhcs.org > Subject: Re: [Histonet] Slide/Block Retention > CC: > > We keep our blocks 9 years. > René J. > > --- On Mon, 10/3/11, Dessoye, Michael J <mjdess...@wvhcs.org> wrote: > > > From: Dessoye, Michael J <mjdess...@wvhcs.org> > Subject: [Histonet] Slide/Block Retention > To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu > Date: Monday, October 3, 2011, 9:50 AM > > > Hello Histonet, > > What policy is everyone following for slide and block retention? We are > not CAP, however we currently keep slides and blocks for 10 years. My > director wants to decrease that period to 2 years, which is the Joint > Commission standard. I would like to keep 10 years because we > frequently are asked to send slides for consult and review that are > several years old. It is also helpful when looking for hard-to-find > control tissue. However these reasons are apparently not sufficient. > > I'm leaning towards keeping the 10 year policy, but I need additional > justification. Or does anyone think the 2 year period is sufficient? > > Thanks, > Mike > > Michael J. Dessoye, M.S. | Histology Supervisor | Wyoming Valley Health > Care System | mjdess...@wvhcs.org <mailto:mjdess...@wvhcs.org> | > 575 N. River Street | Wilkes Barre, PA 18764 | Tel: 570-552-1485 | Fax: > 570-552-1526 > _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ > > This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and > intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom > they are addressed. > If you have received this email in error please notify the > originator of the message. This footer also confirms that this > email message has been scanned for the presence of computer viruses. > > Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual > sender, except where the sender specifies and with authority, > states them to be the views of Wyoming Valley Health Care System. > > Scanning of this message and addition of this footer is performed > by Websense Email Security software in conjunction with > virus detection software. > > > _______________________________________________ > Histonet mailing list > Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu > http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet > _______________________________________________ > Histonet mailing list > Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu > http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet The information in this e-mail is intended only for the person to whom it is addressed. If you believe this e-mail was sent to you in error and the e-mail contains patient information, please contact the Partners Compliance HelpLine at http://www.partners.org/complianceline . If the e-mail was sent to you in error but does not contain patient information, please contact the sender and properly dispose of the e-mail. _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet