Abstract
In recent cancer therapy, the number of requests for diagnosis using not only tissue specimens but also cytological specimens has been increasing. Immunostaining of cytological specimens has attracted attention, and the expansion of its application has been anticipated. In a routine histopathological examination, immunoenzyme staining is the most commonly used diagnostic tool, and remarkable developments and progress have been made in developing automated staining equipment and new staining methods in recent years. Moreover, immunostaining is performed in many facilities. However, the number of staining operators who have never performed manual staining is increasing annually, and some of them often lack understanding of the principles or methods of immunostaining. Therefore, they may send poorly stained samples to a pathologist because they fail to determine by themselves whether the staining is sufficient. The importance of performing staining surveys has been increasing significantly so that those involved may become aware of the differences in the level of staining properties between that observed at their own facility and that observed at other facilities. Staining surveys have been conducted, and the level of awareness regarding the quality control of staining has been changing. We need to perform everyday tasks in collaboration with pathologists by recognizing that a poorly stained sample may lead to an incorrect diagnosis, and the preparation of more precisely stained samples can be of benefit to both society and patients. In this article, I will discuss the quality control of staining in addition to the current situation and new techniques of immunostaining.
