Norazlin Abdul Aziz1,2, Noor Kaslina Mohd Kornain2, Nor Salmah Bakar2, Aletza Mohd Ismail2*
1. Molecular Pathology Unit, Cancer Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, Ministry of Health, 40170 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
2. Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
*Corresponding author: Aletza Mohd Ismail,
CITATION: Abdul Aziz, N., Mohd Kornain, N. K., Bakar, N. S., & Mohd Ismail, A. (2025). Histopathological assessment of archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sample quality from nasopharyngeal biopsy cases. International Medical Research Journal, 11(2). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.63719/imrj.2025.11.02.007
ABSTRACT
Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples are widely used for diagnostic and research purposes. However, many factors can affect the quality of these samples, potentially compromising subsequent tissue analyses. This study aimed to assess the quality of archived FFPE samples from nasopharyngeal biopsy cases using systematic histopathological evaluation to determine sample suitability for tumour microenvironment (TME) studies. We retrospectively analysed 124 archival FFPE nasopharyngeal biopsy specimens. FFPE tissue sections were stained with routine staining (haematoxylin and eosin) and reviewed by a histopathologist. Histopathological assessment systematically evaluated tissue morphology, tumour presence, stromal component, and lymphoid tissue. From the 124 FFPE samples evaluated, only 97 samples, comprising 55 nasopharyngeal carcinoma and 42 nontumour samples, fulfilled the inclusion criteria. A systematic histological assessment was crucial for determining the suitability of a sample for cell and tissue structure analysis. This study established a histological quality control framework for assessing archival FFPE samples in the TME study, ensuring reliable and reproducible data for future
investigations.
KEYWORDS: FFPE, nasopharyngeal biopsy, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, sample quality control, tumour microenvironment
