ABSTRACT
Tissue microarray (TMA) technology provides an efficient way to analyze many different histological samples in a single experiment. Preparatory work must be done by the pathologist according to the following steps:
• Selecting cases for TMA construction • Selecting donor blocks • Making annotation of representative areas • Designing the array
The initial identification and collection of tumor samples represents the greatest portion of the work associated with TMA construction (Figure 6.1). Most of the work (approximately 95%) devoted to TMA manufacturing is traditional pathology work that cannot be accelerated by machinery. A typical project involving 200 cases may take 2 months for case identification and collection but only 2 days for array building.
