Cancer Cytogenetics Laboratory - Calgary Zone

Hours of Operation

Monday to Friday 08:00-18:00 and Saturday from 09:00-15:00

Contact Information

403-770-3690

Requisitions

REQ9061BM Bone Marrow Pathology Requisition - used exclusively for bone marrow or bone core biopsy samples

REQ9037AP Cancer Cytogenetics - used for blood, paraffin sections/blocks, touch preparation slides and out of town/remote bone marrow, bone core biopsy samples, soft tumour tissues, and tumour core biopsies

Sample Collection Requirements

All samples should be sent to Cancer Cytogenetics immediately after collection. If there is some reason the samples cannot be immediately sent to the lab, store the sample at room temperature until shipping.

If specimen is collected outside regular business hours, contact a Cytogenetics Technologist. An after-hours phone list is available at each Calgary Hematology RRL:

  • ACH Hematology     403-955-7382
  • FMC Hematology     403-944-8165
  • PLC Hematology      403-943-4602
  • RGH Hematology     403-943-3420
  • PLC Hematology      403-943-4602
  • SHC Hematology      403-956-1355

Bone Marrow

  1. Collect a minimum of 1 mL of bone marrow into a 4 mL dark green sodium heparin tube.
  2. If you are collecting a sample with a diagnosis of PCN, Multiple Myeloma or any other diagnosis where CD138+ targeted FISH may be required, collect at least 3 mL of bone marrow.

Bone Core Biopsy

  1. The Cancer Cytogenetics Laboratory provides Bone Marrow Transport Media for bone core biopsy specimens. If you require transport media for bone core collections, call the lab.
  2. Collect sample in Bone Marrow Transport Media.

Blood (mnemonic - CACYTO)

  1. Collect a minimum of 3 mL of blood into a 4 mL dark green sodium heparin tube.

Soft Tissue Tumour/Tumour Core Biopsy

  1. The Cancer Cytogenetics Laboratory provides Tumour Transport Media for soft tissue tumour/tumour core biopsy specimens. If you require transport media for tumour collections, call the lab.
  2. Collect sample into Tumour Transport Media.

Specimen/Requisition Acceptance

Specimens must be labelled with:

  1. Patient's FULL first and last name
  2. One of the following:
    1. PHN - Personal Health Number
    2. ULI - Unique Lifetime Identifier
    3. Government Issued ID - federal, military, RCMP, refugee, immigration, passport
    4. MRN - medical record number

Requisitions must be completed with the following information:

  1. Patient's FULL first and last name
  2. One of the following:
    1. PHN - Personal Health Number
    2. ULI - Unique Lifetime Identifier
    3. Government Issued ID - federal, military, RCMP, refugee, immigration, passport
    4. MRN - medical record number
  3. Specimen collection date and time
  4. Information on Requesting Doctor
  5. Information for any additional "copy to" reports
  6. Clinical information and any testing requests
  7. AP accession number if applicable

Sample Acceptance Criteria:

  1. Sample is accompanied by a completed and approved requisition
  2. Sample is collected in correct specimen tube
  3. Sample and requisition are labelled properly
  4. Test request is legible
  5. Sample is not frozen, exposed to fixative or dried