Reference Lab Diagnostics
Biopsy Submissions Made Simple: Best Practices for Better Results
Everything you need to submit biopsies the right way — clearly, cleanly, and with confidence.
When it comes to biopsy results, small details can make a big difference. From sample prep to labeling and packaging, following a few simple steps helps ensure faster turnaround times, better preservation, and more accurate diagnoses. This quick-reference guide is your go-to resource for submitting samples seamlessly.
Antech provides 40-, 60- and 120-mL biopsy jars free of charge for your convenience. They can be ordered online at Healthtracks™.
Antech provides packaging materials/containers free of charge forshipping biological specimens to ensure they are packaged and shippedin full compliance with the Department of Transportation (DOT)regulations. These are available to order through HealthTracks™. Pleasenote that our couriers are unable to pick up packages that do not meetDOT regulations.
What to Do: Submission Best Practices
For specimens under 20 cm:
- Submit in 10% Neutral Buffered Formalin (NBF) in a leak-proof, wide-mouth, screw-top plastic container, with 1:10 tissue-to-NBF ratio. You can order Department of Transportation (DOT) compliant jars in a variety of sizes from Antech at no cost through HealthTracks™.
- Never submit samples with over 1 Liter of formalin
- Place tissue in NBF as soon as possible after collection with minimal handling. Surgical lights and instrument handling can damage biopsies.
- For very small biopsies placed in cassettes, label with solvent-resistant pens. Many pencils, pens, and markers (including Sharpies) wash off in NBF.
- If there are multiple biopsies for a patient, bag those together with a single submission form. Always bag jars with formalin separately from all other testing (cytology, cultures, etc.).
- If you’d like specific anatomic margins measured and reported, mark at least two contiguous margins with sutures and/or staples (ex: one suture rostral and two sutures RLat).
- Never submit sharps of any kind with samples.
- For our safety, let us know if any metal (ex: orthopedic wire, plate) is present in the sample.
- Always label the biopsy container with the patient’s name, hospital name, and contents. Do not label lids.
For specimens that measure over 20 cm (too large for a jar—for example, a spleen) you can either cut the sample into smaller pieces that each fit into the containers, or submit the sample whole, following these guidelines:
- DO NOT SUBMIT IN FORMALIN.
- Wrap the specimen in saline dampened with gauze or paper towels. Gauze should NOT be dripping wet; there should be no free-flowing fluid accumulation in the bag.
- Triple-bag the sample in large releasable plastic bags or leak-proof, see-through garbage bags.Place absorbent liner between second and third bags.
- Always label the outer bag with the patient’s name, hospital name, and contents. Write “SALINE” on the label to indicate DOT compliance.
- Refrigerate until pick up and submit with cool pack(s) (1 brick per kg is recommended) if the weather is warm (> 60 °F).
- Never submit sharps of any kind with samples.
- For our safety, let us know if any metal (ex: orthopedic wire, plate) is present in the sample.
- NOTE: At Antech, there is no additional charge for processing histology samples larger than 20 cm.
For the best results, always include:
- Brief patient history
- Description of the lesion (what you saw)
- Suspected differential diagnoses
- Questions you want the biopsy report to answer
- Anything else you want the pathologist to know
What Not to Do: Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Check out our visual reference library of “don’ts” — from unlabeled lids to improper fixative use — to see examples of submissions that delay diagnostics.
Loose Lid
Excess Fluid & Leaking
No Sharps
No Buckets
We’re Here to Help
Still have questions? Need more formalin containers or submission forms?
Our Antech team is just a call away. You can also request a printed version of the biopsy submission guide through your local representative.
Call Support
800-872-1001 (U.S.)
800-341-3440 (Canada)