Table 2 Main responsibilities of the surgeon, pathologist, surgical center staff and Pathology laboratory staff

Surgeon

- proper clinical information including tumor location, whether resection was total or partial.

- consider resecting papillary lesions and sending them in two different containers: one with the superficial tumor and the other with the deep wall (for evaluation of muscularis propria).

- for extensive disease, perform random biopsies and biopsies of the prostatic urethra. All of them are sent in different containers.

- avoid unnecessary thermic / cautery artifacts whenever feasible.

- send each lesion or region in a different container.

Operating Room Staff / multidisciplinary team

- assure an ideal period of 10 min from sample removal to be placed in fixation.

- use of 10% buffered neutral formalin (pH 6.9–7.1).

- the volume ratio from fixation media and the specimen should range from 5:1 to 10:1.

Pathology laboratory staff

- fixation time should range from 24 h to 48 h

- paraffin blocks should be stored at 4^oC or room temperature

Pathologist

- assure proper gross technique.

- give a concise and synoptic report with all relevant data on prognosis (see text for discussion).

- add comments whether useful to enhance the communication with other members of the multidisciplinary team (see text and report template for details)