Laboratory Services

Telephone:  978-784-9300

Fax:  978-784-9572

Hour of  Operation for out Outpatient Services:

Monday - Friday 7:00AM- 5:30PM  & Saturday - Sunday 8:00AM- 3:30PM

Nashoba Valley Medical Center Laboratory professionals play a vital role in supporting quality healthcare. The Laboratory provides a wide range of valuable services such as blood banking and microbiology to include a complete range of organism identification and susceptibility testing. Our Microbiology Department offers a broad selection of tests designed for rapid identification of the causative agents of infectious diseases and prompt reporting of results. The Hematology Department offers state of the art coagulation and hematology technicians available to assist clients with questions regarding appropriate testing, specimen requirements and interpretation of results.

The laboratory is CAP accredited which requires accurate testing methods and promotes best practice methodology. The laboratory is staffed with certified technologists, technicians, and phlebotomists.

Our dedication to provide quality testing by providing a wide range of valuable services to include highly recognized reference testing laboratories. Our laboratory provides well trained technical and support service staff available seven days a week, twenty four hours a day to assist our nursing, physician and patient population.

Our dedicated Phlebotomy team performs high quality routine and advanced venipunture procedures for all inpatients, outpatients as well as several off-site facilities to include: Rivercourt Residences, Nashoba Park Assisted Living Facility, and Seven Hills of Groton. They not only provide excellent phlebotomy services, but are truly ambassadors for the laboratory.

The Department of Pathology at NVMC is performing immunohistochemistry diagnostic tumor markers Technique.

Immunohistochemistry or IHC refers to the process of localizing proteins in cells of a tissue section exploiting the principle of antibodies binding specifically to antigens in biological tissues. It takes its name from the roots "immuno," in reference to antibodies used in the procedure, and "histo," meaning tissue.
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is used to diagnose the type of cancer and to help determine the patient's prognosis. In cases such as metastases or carcinoma of unknown primary origin, where it may be difficult to determine the type of cell from which the tumor originated, immunohistochemistry can identify cells by the characteristic markers on the cell surface. IHC can also help distinguish between benign and malignant tumors.
Immunohistochemistry requires a sample of tissue from a biopsy; usually the tissue sample is examined fresh, but frozen or chemically preserved material can be used. The physician will choose the type of sample to be taken based on the type of tumor. If the patient has a solid tumor, a tissue sample may be biopsied; if the entire tumor is being removed a biopsy may be taken during surgery. In this case the patient should prepare for the surgery or the biopsy as the physician suggests.
The tissue sample is sliced extremely thinly, so that it is approximately one cell thick, then the sample is fixed onto a glass slide. The tumor cells in the sample have characteristic markers, or antigens, on their cell surfaces which can be used to help identify the specific type of tumor cell. Antibodies against these characteristic antigens are added to the sample on the slide, and the antibodies bind wherever the antigens are present. Excess antibody is then washed away. The antibodies that remain bound to the cell have labels on them that either fluoresce (glow) or undergo a chemical reaction that makes them visible by microscope. The pathologist (Dr.Salama) is able to see the specially labeled tumor antigens as they appear in the patient's tissue.
The pathologist (Dr. Salama) will assess the level of maturity of the tumor cells, which will help him to determine their origin. He will be checking for cell types that are found in an inappropriate part of the body, for example prostate cells in a lymph node. He will also look for cell characteristics that will indicate if the tumor is benign or malignant. Proteins involved in the replication of genetic material and cell growth may be present in greater amounts; for example, antibodies against the antigen Ki-67 are used to evaluate malignant melanomas, breast carcinomas, and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Hormone receptors may also be examined. The presence of receptors to estrogen and progesterone indicate a good prognosis for breast cancer patients. The technique is more widely used in diagnostic surgical pathology for typing tumors (e.g. immunostaining for e-cadherin to differentiate between DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ: stains positive) and LCIS (lobular carcinoma in situ: stains negative. Pathologists may also look for an increase in tumor suppressor proteins. A wide variety of antibodies are available to help determine the origin of the tumor, whether it is growing rapidly, and whether it is a type of tumor that responds well to particular treatments.
Example of tumor markers:
• Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA): for adenocarcinomas.
• Cytokeratins for carcinoma
• CD15 and CD30 for Hodgkin's disease
• Alpha fetoprotein: for yolk sac tumors and hepatocellular carcinoma
• CD117 (KIT): for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST)
• RCC for renal cell carcinoma.
• Prostate specific antigen (PSA) for Prostate cancer
• HMB45 and MART-1 for Malignant melanoma
• CD20 for B-cell lymphomas.
• CD3 forT-cell lymphomas.
• Calretinin for Mesothelioma