So, you have received the news that you need to undergo a new kind of test, a ‘genetic test’ in order to understand your risk for inherited cancer? What do you do next? Where do you go? How do you know which lab is the best in India?

Here are a few points to consider. A genetic test is a test that examines your DNA for the presence of genes that may cause cancer, at some point in time in your life. There are some laboratories in India and in the USA where this analysis can be done. In India, one of the leading laboratories for genetic testing is Strand Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine (Strand Center), Bangalore.

The first thing you need to know is that Strand Center has been accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP). CAP is a well-known organization that inspects diagnostic laboratories for compliance with best practices and stringent maintenance of records. Attaining CAP accreditation is not simple or easy!! Our scientists have put in place various processes and checkpoints to ensure that once a tissue sample is collected, it is handled and analyzed carefully. There are a total number of 203 checkpoints implemented to make sure that there are no errors with clinical samples.

CriteriaStrand CenterNon-CAP-accredited Lab
Number of CAP Checklist Criteria- Common List – 41Yes No
Number of CAP Checklist Criteria- Molecular Processes List – 76Yes No
Number of CAP Checklist Criteria- General List – 86Yes No
6-month internal audit process – Mandatory for CAP accreditationYes No
Internal quality control processes established and documentedYes No
Alignment of Lab processes to CAP activity MenuYes No
End-to-end audit of workflow by CAP inspectorsYes No
Definition of acceptable error limits at each stepYes (less than or equal to 5-10%)Not determined
Validation parameters in bioinformatics and interpretation stepsYes – 25 parameters No
Proficiency testingYes – 100% No

It is not enough to go through this process once and declare ourselves to be the best! We maintain stringent records of all out activities and review all of these processes, every 6 months.CAP-NABL-certificate only

A CAP accreditation is not a once-in-a-lifetime event either! Once a laboratory has won this medal, it has to maintain compliance, year-on-year, to keep the medal as well. We ensure that we continue to operate with the same level of excellence and high quality that granted us the accreditation in the first place. So, the CAP badge is something that the Strand Center wears proudly!

In addition to CAP, the Strand Center has been accredited by NABL as well. NABL is an Indian regulatory authority that plays a similar role. This organization also conducts audits of diagnostic laboratories and provides accreditation for best practices and quality assurance.

In fact, the Strand Center is one of the earliest NGS labs in India to achieve both CAP and NABL accreditation!

So, there you have it. We have made the choice of a genetic lab really easy for you.

If you need any more information, please call our Toll-free number 1-800-1022-695 to find out more about the process of getting your genes tested.

You can also write to us at stayaheadofcancer@strandls.com

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