[Histonet] National Academy of Sciences Confirms That Formaldehyde Can Cause Cancer in a Finding That Has Implications for Anatomic Pathology and Histology Laboratories

[Weems, Joyce K.]

The problem in the clinical world is that many clinical trials require formalin fixation, so I would not want to substitute anything that would prevent a patient from being in a trial.

It's not new to me that formalin is a carcinogen. I just try to make sure to use PPE and have good ventilation and monitor as necessary. (Unlike when I put my ungloved hands in it and had no ventilation when I started down this path a hundred years ago.)  j

Joyce Weems
Pathology Manager
678-843-7376 Phone
678-843-7831 Fax
joyce.weems at emoryhealthcare.org



www.saintjosephsatlanta.org
5665 Peachtree Dunwoody Road
Atlanta, GA 30342

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-----Original Message-----
From: Stedman, Nancy [mailto:Nancy.Stedman at buschgardens.com]
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2015 3:12 PM
To: Adesupo, Adesuyi (Banjo); 'histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu'
Subject: Re: [Histonet] National Academy of Sciences Confirms That Formaldehyde Can Cause Cancer in a Finding That Has Implications for Anatomic Pathology and Histology Laboratories

We are using Excell Plus made by American Master Tech.  It is a combination of alcohol, ethylene glycol, and glyoxal.  It does not fix quite as fast as formalin but fixes just as well as long as tissue samples are small and not too fatty.  We work in veterinary pathology and mostly with necropsy tissues, and try to keep everything 5 to 10 mm maximum thickness that goes into Excell Plus.  It definitely won't fix an entire intact brain no matter how long you let it sit so we book the brains into thin slices 24 hours after collection.   We have done some limited IHC and DNA extraction from Excell Plus fixed tissue and have not had any issues.   We tried another low tox fixative too - Statlab's GTF formalin substitute, which is glyoxal - and it did not fix as well as Excell Plus.  GTF fixed CNS tissues especially had a lot of artifact like shrunken neurons.

Hope this is helpful.  I would also be curious to know how many labs use formalin substitutes because it seems like they have not caught on much (or at all) in the veterinary world.

-Nancy


Nancy L. Stedman DVM PhD Dipl ACVP
Veterinary Pathologist
Busch Gardens Tampa
nancy.stedman at buschgardens.com



-----Original Message-----
From: Adesupo, Adesuyi (Banjo) [mailto:abadesuyi at nrh-ok.com]
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2015 12:52 PM
To: 'histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu'
Subject: [Histonet] National Academy of Sciences Confirms That Formaldehyde Can Cause Cancer in a Finding That Has Implications for Anatomic Pathology and Histology Laboratories

     Hi,
       I read this article (National Academy of Sciences Confirms That Formaldehyde Can Cause Cancer in a Finding That Has Implications for Anatomic Pathology and Histology Laboratories) this morning.
    I wanted to know whether some of you guys out there are using Formaldehyde substitute.


    Best regards,

   Banjo Adesuyi, BMLS, HT (ASCP) HTL, QIHC, QLS
   Histology Supervisor
   Norman Regional Health System,
   Norman, OK 73071.
   Tel: 405- 307- 1145
   abadesuyi at nrh-ok.com<mailto:abadesuyi at nrh-ok.com>

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