Tissue Microarrays in Studying Gynecological Cancers

The tissue microarray (TMA) is a recent technology developed to increase the performance of molecular profiling in cancer research by rapidly performing large-scale studies while reducing experimental variables and conserving priceless tissue samples. The technology allows, on a single glass slide, the parallel analysis of protein or genes in an array composed of hundreds of paraffin-embedded cored tissue specimens. TMAs can be evaluated with immunohistochemistry, fluorescent-dye assays, and in situ hybridization (ISH). While strictly a research and screening tool, TMAs enable the rapid investigation of normal and cancer tissues, and are especially useful for cancer biomarker validation studies. In oncology, the ability to couple TMA results to clinical parameters is especially useful for the development of clinically useful prognostic and predictive biomarkers derived from genomics studies. This chapter will introduce the readers to the main technical aspects of TMA construction and the methods of TMA analysis particularly in the context of breast and ovarian cancers. Important points for consideration in order to avoid the common pitfalls of the technology will be presented and a particular focus will be provided on quality control and analysis of TMA.