The surgeon’s impact on ER status.
153 Background: Long ischemic times prior to tissue fixation can lower the accuracy of immunohistochemical staining (IHC). The purpose of this study was to identify factors that impact the time to fixation (TTF), and to determine if TTF impacts prognostic factor (PF) patterns and if TTF can be changed with simple interventions. Methods: Surgeries performed between 2008 and June 2011 for which TTF was noted and PF testing was done were reviewed. TTF, patient age and race, surgeon, date and type of surgery, tumor size, nodal status, grade, and status of ER/PR and HER2 by IHC were noted. TTF was dichotomized into > or <60 minutes. In-Services (IS) for pathology and surgical staff were completed. TTF before and after the IS were compared. Associations between TTF and other factors were assessed using standard methods for contingency tables. Predictors of ER status were evaluated by multivariate analysis. Results: Mean TTF was 72 minutes (range 12-445) TTF was significantly associated with surgeon, type of specimen, and ER status (Table). TTF was an independent predictor of ER status by multivariate analysis. TTF was shorter and less variable after IS. Conclusions: TTF varied significantly between surgeons. IS training of the surgeons and OR and pathology staff can decrease TTF. Longer TTF was associated with increased ER negativity, suggesting that longer ischemic time interferes with IHC for ER. If prolonged TTF leads to false negative ER staining, patients may not receive optimal therapies. To minimize this risk, the breast surgeon should take an active role in minimizing the TTF. [Table: see text]