July 10, 2019—Bio-Rad’s droplet digital PCR microsatellite instability research use only assay is available for early access customers. The ddPCR MSI assay can be completed in one day on a ddPCR-based platform to quantify the level of MSI present in colorectal tumors. Using either a blood or formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sample, the assay quantitatively identifies mutations in five loci that lead to identification of MSI status. Colorectal tumors that test positive for MSI-high are candidates for treatment with immune-checkpoint inhibitors. The assay is “simple, highly sensitive, and provides a standardized output that does not require a pathologist’s interpretation,” according to a company statement. The test can use patient blood samples in the absence of tumor tissue and does not require matched normal tissue or normal blood samples.
Webinars and Sponsored Roundtables — Register Now
Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 12:00–1:00 PM ET
Hear an expert discuss the expanded clinical utility of HER2 IHC scoring in metastatic breast cancer and its impact on your practice
Webinar presenter Michelle Shiller, DO, AP, CP, MGP, FACP, Baylor University Medical Center.
Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY
Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 1:00-2:00 PM ET
Hear an expert discuss how to integrate Kappa and Lambda in situ hybridization testing into your standard hematopathology workflow to accurately assess B-cell and plasma cell clonality. You will also gain the skills to recognize testing pitfalls in challenging reactive versus neoplastic proliferations and apply ancillary tools to resolve complex cases.
Webinar presenter Xiaojun Wu, MD, PhD, Assistant professor, Director of Hematopathology Section at NCR of Johns Hopkins Medicine Department of Pathology, SOM at Johns Hopkins University
Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY
Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 11:00-11:30 AM CT
- Explain how transparency and manufacturer partnerships improve quality, consistency, and decision-making confidence in specimen management.
- Evaluate blood collection tubes beyond cost and commodity assumptions, incorporating clinical impact and risk into decision-making.
- Assess the potential risk points when using a blood collection device that has not been cleared for a specific purpose.
Roundtable presenters Nick Fingland, PhD, PMP, Senior Director, R&D Operations and Science, BD, and Chris Farnsworth, PhD, D(ABCC), Section Head of Clinical Chemistry, Professor of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine.
Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY