The Effect of 10 % Buffered Formalin Fixation Duration on The Quality Of Hematoxylin Eosin (HE) Staining in Tissue Suspected of Breast Cancer

Abstract

Breast cancer is a malignant condition that is a result of atypical cell division in breast tissue. Histopathological examination plays an important role in providing an accurate diagnosis. Fixation is the single most important factor in the initial procedure of histopathologic examination. This study aimed to determine the optimal fixation duration of 10% buffered formalin against suspected breast cancer tissue. This study used an analytical descriptive design, tissue samples suspected of breast cancer were fixed for 1 day, 3 days and 7 days. The research was conducted at the Anatomical Pathology Laboratory of Dr. Saiful Anwar Hospital, East Java Province, in May 2024 with 9 samples and 2 repetitions. Hematoxylin  Eosin staining was carried out automatically using a Gemini ASS Automated Slide Stainer. The positive control used appendix tissue samples stained with Hematoxylin Eosin. The staining of quality assessment data was tested with the Kruskal Wallis test shows sig. value of 0.000 (< 0.05) was obtained, indicating a significant difference between 1 day and 3 days and between 1 day and 7 days. The 3-day and 7-day fixation treatments show  the best results for staining.