Who we are

The Haematopathology and Oncology Diagnostic Service (HODS) at Cambridge University Hospitals is the Specialist Integrated Haematological Malignancy Diagnostic Service (SIHMDS) for the East of England. We provide a multi-parameter, integrated service including morphology, immunophenotyping and histopathology for the diagnosis and classification of haematological malignancies.

Our highly experienced HCPC-registered laboratory scientists work closely with a dedicated team of consultants from both a haematology and histopathology background. This integration ensures every specimen is assessed, tested, interpreted, and reported to the highest standards and also enables the continued development of high-quality clinical testing in the rapidly progressing field of molecular pathology.

Samples with a suspected or known haematological malignancy will be received at the HODS specimen reception and assessed according to the clinical details and/or morphological and flow cytometry findings.  Samples are processed according to specific diagnostic pathways based on the clinical presentation, morphological assessment, and known or suspected diagnosis.

For cases requiring cytogenetic or molecular testing, these will be performed in partnership with the Eastern Genomic Laboratory Hub (GLH) located on the Cambridge University Hospital site, from whom the services are commissioned by NHS England.

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Integrated diagnostic report

The results of each diagnostic modality (morphology, flow cytometry, cytogenetics, molecular, histopathology) will be reported separately as they become available, and a final comprehensive integrated report will then be compiled within HODS by collating and interpreting all the results together.

For haematological malignancies, HODS will classify cases according to the WHO classification of Tumours of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues (2016). This approach is essential for NICE “improving outcomes guidance” (IOG) compliance, and facilitates accurate disease classification and prognostication that inform personalised therapies that target specific characteristics of individual cancer patients.

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UKAS Accreditation

The laboratory is accredited by UKAS to ISO 15189 standards and has close connections and collaborations with national and international diagnostic centres. Information concerning the current UKAS scope of the HODS and East GLH laboratories is available online by searching ‘UKAS 10003’ or ‘UKAS 8840’, respectively.

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