Reasosn fot participating: Access perofrmance, Compare to peers, Validate test methods, individual feedback.

External Quality Assessment

Our objective is to monitor and guarantee high quality testing services in medical laboratories by organizing external quality assessment (EQA) programs as an ISO 17043 (PT-215) accredited EQA provider, for both cystic fibrosis and for (hemato)oncology biomarker testing on various sample types.

All laboratories world-wide can participate.

Laboratories participating to EQA are able to compare performance to international peers, to identify training needs or problems in laboratory practice, and to show its customers the efforts made towards continuous improvement and quality assurance.

Click on the button below to create an account to get an overview of available EQA programs and to receive information on upcoming schemes of interest.

Register now

The EQA scheme Process

The process of EQA is depicted in below. A large number of laboratories are provided with the same material and they submit their results (analysis results as well as written clinical reports) to a coordination center. The results are evaluated by a team of international assessors which are experts in the field. At the end of an EQA scheme, each user receives a general report, assessment tables, individual feedback from the assessors and a certificate of participation.

EQA Procedure

Ready to put your laboratory to the test?

The Biomedical Quality Assurance research unit organizes yearly EQA programs in collaboration with international experts serving as steering committee members, assessors and reference laboratories. Become a part of our worldwide team by taking part in any of the EQA schemes.

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EXECUTED SCHEMES

Introduction

About Us

The Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit is housed under the Department of Public Health and Primary Care of the University of Leuven, Belgium. The group is led by Prof. Dr. Els Dequeker, professor at KU Leuven and Quality Manager for the Division Medical Diagnostics of the University Hospitals UZ Leuven.

EQA is defined by the World Health Organization as "a system of objectively checking laboratory results by means of an external agency". Participation in organized inter-laboratory comparisons such as EQA schemes is a requirement to gain accreditation according to ISO 15189:2012 and in some countries it is a governmental requirement for reimbursement of tests.

An EQA scheme must reflect the diagnostic and clinical reality as closely as possible and it is highly recommended to cover the entire test process, including pre - and post-examination procedures. Hence, the type, amount and quality of distributed samples and the turnaround time (TAT) are closely monitored.
The EQA coordination center of the Biomedical Quality Assurance research unit (KU Leuven – University of Leuven) is an ISO 17043 (PT-215) accredited EQA provider. The group organizes EQA schemes for both cystic fibrosis and (hemato)oncology biomarker testing. The EQA scheme is organized by a multidisciplinary team, consisting of medical experts, technical experts, international assessors, and the coordination center (EQA provider). Reference laboratories are added to the EQA team to help with the preparation, validation and distribution of EQA material.

The Biomedical Quality Assurance research unit organizes EQA schemes in collaboration with or for the following partners:

http://www.iqnpath.org/

The IQN Path mission is to improve clinical implementation of biomarkers through multi-stakeholder cooperation. This central association will enable an exchange of expertise between key opinion leaders, will facilitate the development of multidisciplinary guidelines, develop workshops and training, and will promote EQA. The ESP EQA is one of the founding members of the International Quality Network for Pathology (IQN Path, www.iqnpath.org).

Joint cfDNA EQA scheme

In 2017, the umbrella organisation IQN Path has initiated a collaboration between External Quality Assessment (EQA) providers (AIOM, EMQN, ESP EQA, GenQA (part of UK NEQAS) and Gen&Tiss) to provide a pilot cfDNA EQA scheme to assess the standard of testing EGFR gene mutations in circulating free DNA (cfDNA) in plasma, with the purpose of providing best practice guidelines in this field and promotion of high-quality testing. The pilot scheme demonstrated the feasibility of delivering a cfDNA EQA scheme and the need for such a scheme due to high error rates in detecting low frequency clinically relevant variants. The scheme was followed by an interactive workshop for interested laboratories. A second scheme was run in 2018.

The cfDNA schemes are supported by Amgen, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Biocartis, Horizon Diagnostics, Merck KGaA, Qiagen, Roche, Sysmex Inostics, Seracare and Thermo Fisher Scientific/Life Technologies.

Steering committee members

  • Dr. Sandi Deans – The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (representative for GenQA)
  • Prof. Dr. Els Dequeker. – Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium (representative for ESP)
  • Prof. Dr. Nicola Normanno – Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione G. Pascale"-IRCCS, Naples, (representative for Aiom)
  • Dr. Simon Patton – Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom (representative for EMQN)
  • Dr. Etienne Rouleau – Institut de Cancérologie Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France (representative for Gen&Tiss)

Project manager

  • Dr. Jennifer Fairley – The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (GenQA)

Project members

  • Dr. Melanie Cheetham – Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom (EMQN)
  • Dr. Sandi Deans – The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (GenQA)
  • Prof. Dr. Marc Denis – Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France (Gen&Tiss)
  • Prof. Dr. Els Dequeker – Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium (for ESP)
  • Dr. Jennifer Fairley – The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (GenQA)
  • Dr. Francesca Fenizia – Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione G. Pascale"-IRCCS, Naples, (Aiom)
  • Prof. Dr. Nicola Normanno – Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione G. Pascale"-IRCCS, Naples (Aiom)
  • Dr. Simon Patton – Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom (EMQN)
  • Dr. Etienne Rouleau – Institut de Cancérologie Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France (Gen&Tiss)
  • Prof. Dr. Ed Schuuring – University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands (for ESP)
  • Dr. Nicola Wolstenholme – Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom (EMQN)
  • Members of the BQA Research unit – KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium (for ESP and Gen&Tiss)

Reference laboratories

  • Institut de Cancérologie Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
  • Laboratoire de Biochimie, CHU Hotel Dieu, Nantes, France
  • University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
  • Centro di Ricerche Oncologiche di Mercogliano (CROM), Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione Giovanni Pascale" IRCCS, Naples, Italy

Assessors for the ESP cfDNA scheme

  • Prof. Dr. Nicky D’Haene – Erasme Hôpital, Belgium
  • Prof. Dr. Els Dequeker – Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
  • Prof. Dr. Marc Denis – CHU Hotel Dieu, France
  • Prof. Dr. Patrick Pauwels – University Hospital of Antwerp, Belgium
  • Dr. Etienne Rouleau – Gustave Roussy, France
  • Prof. Dr. Ed Schuuring – University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands
  • Dr. Jan von der Thüsen – Erasmus Medical Center, The Netherlands
  • Members of the BQA Research unit – KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

CONTACT AND INFORMATION

EQA scheme coordination center:
KU Leuven, Department of Public Health and Primary Care,
Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit,
Kapucijnenvoer 7, block h, box 7001
3000 Leuven, Belgium
E-mail: lung.eqa@kuleuven.be; Tel +32 (0)16 33 01 43

https://www.esp-pathology.org/

The European Society of Pathology (ESP) established an EQA program for testing biomarker mutations in colorectal cancer in 2009. This program aimed to ensure optimal accuracy and proficiency in biomarker testing in colorectal cancer across all countries. A first European pilot EQA scheme was running May – June 2009. Based on these experiences Regional and European EQA schemes were organized in different countries in 2009 and 2010. Thereafter, a yearly EQA program was organized until 2019.

In 2012, an additional EQA scheme was organized to ensure optimal accuracy and proficiency in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) biomarker testing across all countries.

From 2017, the organization of the ESP EQA programs is performed together with the ESP-QA foundation, which works in close contact with Prof. Dr. Raed Al Dieri, scientific director of the ESP.

The ESP Lung EQA schemes were / are supported by Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), AstraZeneca Belgium (for PD-L1), Roche Belgium, Roche Turkey, Roche Macedonia, Pfizer Poland, Pfizer Croatia, Pfizer Serbia and Central Balkan Countries (Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo), and Pfizer Czech Republic/Hungary/Slovakia, Amgen Europe (for molecular DNA).

ESP LUNG EQA SCHEMES

Steering committee members

  • Prof. Dr. Els Dequeker – Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, University of Leuven, Belgium
  • Prof. Dr. Ales Ryska – Charles University Medical Faculty and Faculty Hospital in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
  • Prof. Dr. Ed Schuuring – University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands
  • Dr. Jan von der Thüsen – Erasmus MC Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Medical/technical experts

  • Prof. Dr. Ales Ryska – Charles University Medical Faculty and Faculty Hospital in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
  • Prof. Dr. Ed Schuuring – University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands
  • Dr. Jan von der Thüsen – Erasmus MC Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  • Dr. Vasiliki Siozopoulou – UZA University Hospital Antwerp, Belgium

Reference laboratories

  • Charles University Medical Faculty Hospital, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
  • Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  • University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

Assessors

  • Prof. Dr. Els Dequeker – Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, University of Leuven, Belgium
  • Prof. Dr. Ales Ryska – Charles University Medical Faculty and Faculty Hospital in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
  • Prof. Dr. Ed Schuuring – University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands
  • Dr. Jan von der Thüsen – Erasmus MC Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  • Dr. Izidor Kern – The University Clinic of Pulmonary and Allergic Diseases Golnik, Slovenia
  • Prof. Dr. Federica Pezzuto – University of Padova, Italy
  • Dr. Vasiliki Siozopoulou – UZA University Hospital Antwerp, Belgium
  • Dr. Glenn Broeckx – UZA University Hospital Antwerp, Belgium
  • Members of the BQA Research unit – KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

CONTACT AND INFORMATION

EQA scheme coordination center
KU Leuven, Department of Public Health and Primary Care,
Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit,
Kapucijnenvoer 7, block h, box 7001
3000 Leuven, Belgium
E-mail: lung.eqa@kuleuven.be; Tel +32 (0)16 33 01 43

ESP EQA schemes invoice information
EQA.lung-registrationfee@esp-pathology.org
admin@esp-pathology.org

ESP COLON EQA SCHEMES

Steering committee members (2009-2019)

  • Prof. Dr. Els Dequeker – KU Leuven, Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, Belgium
  • Prof. Dr. Marjolijn Ligtenberg – Radboud university medical center, The Netherlands
  • Prof. Dr. Han van Krieken – Radboud university medical center, The Netherlands

Medical/technical experts

  • Prof. Dr. Marjolijn Ligtenberg – Radboud university medical center, The Netherlands
  • Prof. Dr. Han van Krieken – Radboud university medical center, The Netherlands

Reference laboratories

  • Department of Pathology, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands - Dr. Marjolijn Ligtenberg
  • Pathologische Ontleedkunde, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

Assessors

  • Prof. Dr. Els Dequeker – KU Leuven, Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, Belgium
  • Dr. Leonie Kroeze – Radboud university medical center, The Netherlands
  • Prof. Dr. Marjolijn Ligtenberg – Radboud university medical center, The Netherlands
  • Prof. Dr. Nicola Normanno, Cell Biology and Biotherapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy
  • Dr. Sara Vander Borght – Department of Pathology, University Hospital Leuven, Belgium
  • Prof. Dr. Han van Krieken – Radboud university medical center, The Netherlands
  • Members of the BQA Research unit – KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

CONTACT AND INFORMATION

EQA scheme coordination center
KU Leuven, Department of Public Health and Primary Care,
Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit,
Kapucijnenvoer 7, block h, box 7001
3000 Leuven, Belgium
E-mail: colon.eqa@kuleuven.be; Tel +32 (0)16 33 01 43

The European Cystic Fibrosis Thematic Network was a project approved under the 5th framework program from the European Union, coordinated from the Center for Human Genetics of the University Hospital of Leuven, Belgium. The philosophy of the network has grown out of the experience gained from the BIOMED-2 CF concerted action which showed the needs for closer interaction between the patient organizations and the clinical professions as well as those involved in fundamental research on Cystic Fibrosis (CF).

The European network brought together all parties involved in the same quest "the fight against CF", with the aim of making information more easily available to everybody.

The CF network works in close collaboration with the EuroGentest Network of Excellence and the European Molecular Genetics Quality Network (EMQN) in order to improve harmonization of External Quality Assessment (EQA) schemes within Europe.

The CF Network collaborates with the HGSA/RCPA Quality Assurance Programs (QAP) for the registration of Australasian laboratories. These laboratories should enroll through the HGSA/RCPAQAP.

EQA program

Medical/technical experts

  • Dr. Marie-Pierre Audrézet – Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire, CHU Brest, Brest, France
  • Dr. Caroline Raynal – Institut Universitaire de Recherche Clinique, Public Health, Hospital Medical School, Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire, Montpellier, France

Reference laboratory

  • Center of human genetics – University hospital Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium

Assessors

  • Dr. Celia Badenas – Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Unit, Centre de Diagnostic Biomedic, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
  • Dr. Marie-Pierre Audrézet – Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire, CHU Brest, Brest, France
  • Prof. Dr. Els Dequeker– Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
  • Dr. Valentina Giannone – Laboratorio di Genetica Medica - Settore di Genetica Molecolare, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico – Clinica Mangiagalli, Milano, Italy
  • Dr. Caroline Raynal – Institut Universitaire de Recherche Clinique, Public Health, Hospital Medical School, Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire, Montpellier, France
  • Dr. Dragica Radojkovic – Laboratory for Molecular Biology, Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Dr. Heike Torkler – MVZ Dr. Eberhard & Partner Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
  • Dr. Raina Yamamoto – MVZ Dr. Eberhard & Partner Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
  • Members of the BQA Research unit – KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

EXAMPLE REPORTS CASES 2023

Example report case 1 CF EQA 2023

Example report case 2 CF EQA 2023

Example report case 3 CF EQA 2023

CONTACT AND INFORMATION

EQA scheme coordination center
KU Leuven, Department of Public Health and Primary Care,
Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit,
Kapucijnenvoer 7, block h, box 7001
3000 Leuven, Belgium
E-mail: cf.network@kuleuven.be; Tel +32 (0)16 33 01 43

http://www.genetiss.org/

Depuis 2008, les plateformes françaises de génétique moléculaire des cancers sont sollicitées pour l’analyse de mutations dans plusieurs tumeurs solides (poumon, côlon, mélanome, ovaire).

Depuis 2012, le projet national Gen&Tiss, initié par l’Institut National du Cancer (INCa) a pour objet l’évaluation externe de la qualité (EEQ) des examens de génétique moléculaire sur tissus tumoraux. Gen&Tiss permet une comparaison nationale inter-laboratoires. Dans une démarche d’amélioration continue des pratiques, des recommandations techniques et organisationnelles seront élaborées sur la base des résultats de ce contrôle. Dans le cadre de l’accréditation ISO 15189, le programme Gen&Tiss permet aux laboratoires de justifier d’un contrôle qualité externe obligatoire pour accréditer les analyses réalisées.

En se rapprochant de la pratique courante avec l’utilisation de matériel fixé en paraffine, l’objectif est aussi d’évaluer toutes les étapes des examens de génétique moléculaire impliquant l’organisation de la plateforme entre les activités de pathologie et de génétique moléculaire.

Le groupement des organisateurs du contrôle qualité tient compte des trois axes de ce contrôle qualité: l’anatomopathologie (AFAQAP) la génétique moléculaire (GFCO – Gustave Roussy)et la gestion de la qualité (Université Catholique de Louvain). Un laboratoire européen externe est impliqué dans la validation des échantillons envoyés (Bruxelles, ULB-Hôpital Erasme).

 

Steering committee members

  • Dr. Cecile Aube – Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France
  • Dr. Helene Blons – Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Paris, France
  • Dr. Anne Cayre – Centre Jean Perrin Clermont-Ferrand, France
  • Jean-Francois Coté – Hôpital Tenon, Service d'anatomie pathologique, Paris, France
  • Prof. Dr. Marc Denis – CHU Hotel Dieu, France
  • Prof. Dr. Els Dequeker – Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, University of Leuven, Belgium
  • Dr. Clotilde Descarpentries – Plateforme de Biologie Moléculaire des cancers de la Région Nord Pas de Calais, Lille, France
  • Dr. Jean-francoise Emile – Hôpital Ambroise Paré, Boulogne-Billancourts, France
  • Prof. Dr. Alexandre Harlé – CHRU de Nancy, Nancy, France
  • Prof. Paul Hofman – CHU de Nice, Hôpital Pasteur, Laboratoire de Pathologie Clinique et Expérimentale, Nice, France
  • Dr. Cedric Lemarechal – CHU Brest, Brest, France
  • Dr. Antoinette Lemoine – Hôpital Paul Brousse, Villejuif, France
  • Dr. Fréderique Penault-Llorca – Centre Jean Perrin Clermont-Ferrand, France
  • Dr. Isabelle Quintin-Roué – CHU de Brest, Hôpital de la Cavale Blanche, Brest, France
  • Dr. Etienne Rouleau – Gustave Roussy, France
  • Dr. Jean-Christophe Sabourin – Laboratoire de génétique somatique des tumeurs, Rouen, France
  • Dr. Isabelle Soubeyran – Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux, France

Medical/technical experts

  • Prof. Dr. Marc Denis – CHU Hotel Dieu, France
  • Dr. Etienne Rouleau – Gustave Roussy, France
  • Prof. Dr. Isabelle Salmon – ULB-Hôpital Erasme, Belgique
  • Dr. Claude Van Campenhout – ULB-Hôpital Erasme, Belgique

Reference laboratory

  • Service d’Anatomie Pathologique, ULB-Hôpital Erasme, Bruxelles, Belgique

Assessors

  • Dr. Etienne Rouleau – Gustave Roussy, France
  • Dr. Aude Lamy –Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Rouen, France
  • Prof. Dr. Alexandre Harle – Institut de Cancérologie de Lorraine, France
  • Dr. Ludovic Lacroix – Gustave Roussy, France
  • Prof. Dr. Karen Leroy – Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou, France
  • Prof. Dr. Els Dequeker – Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, University of Leuven, Belgium
  • Members of the BQA Research unit – KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

CONTACT AND INFORMATION

EQA scheme coordination center
KU Leuven, Department of Public Health and Primary Care,
Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit,
Kapucijnenvoer 7, block h, box 7001
3000 Leuven, Belgium
E-mail: gentiss.eqa@kuleuven.be; Tel +32 (0)16 33 01 43

 

Scheme administration
AFAQAP, Hôpital d'Hautepierre, Strasbourg, France

http://www.euroclonality.org/

In many hemato-oncology and pathology laboratories, IG/TR clonality testing is part of the daily diagnostic work-up for samples with suspected lymphoproliferations or lymphoma. Standardization of PCR protocols for the detection of clonal proliferations in lymphoproliferative disease was established by the BIOMED-2/EuroClonality Consortium (JJM van Dongen et al., Leukemia 2003:17:2257-2317, for publications and support see the EuroClonality website). The protocols are now well established in many laboratories, partly due to their commercial availability. These kits have made the technical performance of these protocols relatively uncomplicated. However, the technical interpretation is less straightforward since the reporting of these assays requires knowledge of T-cell receptor (TR) and immunoglobulin (IG) gene rearrangements, multiple rearrangement patterns and cross-lineage rearrangements.

To improve the standardization and reporting of clonality analysis, The EuroClonality Consortium started a series of quality assessment (QA) schemes in 2008. The EuroClonality Consortium is comprised of more than 20 laboratories across Europe with considerable technical experience with the BIOMED-2/EuroClonality primers and protocols.

Two different kinds of QA rounds were organized: paper trials and trials with DNA extracted from different hematological and histological cases. Participants analyzed these cases according to their routine diagnostic PCR practice (GeneScan and/or heteroduplex analysis) based on the suspected diagnosis. Paper trials focused on the interpretation of GeneScan and/or heteroduplex results, while DNA trials assessed both the correct generation of PCR results as well as their interpretation. Participants were asked to submit results for individual loci tested, to give an overall molecular interpretation and a final clinical interpretation where appropriate. These schemes resulted in the published guidelines for the analysis, interpretation and reporting of the BIOMED-2/EuroClonality assays (Langerak et al., Leukemia 2012;26:2159-2172, see the EuroClonality website). To further standardize clonality reporting, language specific translations of these guidelines are available on the EuroClonality website (under "Support"). However, as these guidelines start from an immunobiological concept, it should be stressed that they can be applied to any clonality result, whether or not generated with the BIOMED-2/EuroClonality protocols.

The practical organization of this EQA program is realized in collaboration with Dr. Bart Lubbers (ESLHO), Dr. Elke Boone and Dr. Paula Gameiro. The scheme organizers are participants of the EuroClonality Consortium and are in close contact with the EQA scheme coordination center.

 

Medical/technical expert team

  • Dr. Paula Gameiro (Coordinator: Lead paper cases) – Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Lisbon, Portugal
  • Dr. Elke Boone (Coordinator) – AZ Delta Hospital, Roeselare, Belgium
  • Dr. Markus Möbs (Lead wet cases) – Charité - Berlin University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
  • Dr. Patricia Groenen – Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Reference laboratories

  • Dr. Paula Gameiro (Coordinator) – Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Lisbon, Portugal
  • Dr. Elke Boone (Coordinator) – AZ Delta Hospital, Roeselare, Belgium
  • Dr. Markus Möbs (Coordinator) – Charité - Berlin University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
  • Dr. Patricia Groenen – Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
  • Dr. Liz Hodges – Queen's University, Belfast, United Kingdom
  • Dr. María Eugenia Sarasquete – Salamanca University Hospital, Salamanca, Spain
  • Dr. Millaray Marincevic Zuniga – Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
  • Dr. Benedict Milner – NHS-Grampian, Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Assessors

  • Dr. Elke Boone – AZ Delta Hospital, Roeselare, Belgium
  • Prof. Dr. Els Dequeker – Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
  • Dr. Paula Gameiro – Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Lisbon, Portugal
  • Dr. Patricia Groenen – Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
  • Dr. Liz Hodges – Queen’s University, Belfast, United Kingdom
  • Dr. Markus Möbs – Charité - Berlin University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
  • Dr. María Eugenia Sarasquete – Salamanca University Hospital, Salamanca, Spain
  • Dr. Millaray Marincevic Zuniga – Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
  • Dr. Benedict Milner – NHS-Grampian, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
  • Dr. Bart Lubbers – ESLHO, Zutphen, The Netherlands
  • Members of the BQA Research Unit – KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

CONTACT AND INFORMATION

EQA scheme coordination center:
KU Leuven, Department of Public Health and Primary Care,
Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit,
Kapucijnenvoer 7, block h, box 7001
3000 Leuven, Belgium
E-mail: clonality@kuleuven.be; Tel +32 (0)16 33 01 43

Administrative support

Our EQA schemes

CF2025

Read more

CF2024

Read more

EuroClonality IG/TR 2024

Read more

Gen&Tiss 2024

Read more

NCP Lung participants

Read more

NCP Lung participants (only on invitation)

Read more

EuroClonality IG/TR 2023

Read more

Gen&Tiss 2023

Read more

Our educational programs

TILs & PD-L1 Training Course

Read more

The participation, raw data and the individual report are confidential between the individual laboratory and the EQA coordinator. All persons involved signed a confidentiality agreement. Laboratories are not under any circumstances allowed to disclose the general report and assessment tables to other laboratories not involved in the EQA scheme. Results may be disclosed to other parties with the purpose of quality improvement (e.g. accreditation bodies).

This website replaces the old applications since 1 September 2019.
Laboratories may access their previous participation details (assessment tables, certificates, individual comments and invoices) at the following resources:

  1. Lung.eqascheme.org for the ESP Lung EQA schemes and IQN Path ctDNA schemes
  2. Kras.eqascheme.org for the ESP colon EQA schemes and EurClonality EQA schemes
  3. Cf.eqascheme.org for the Cystic Fibrosis EQA schemes

ISO 17043 accredited EQA provider

The EQA coordination center of the Biomedical Quality
Assurance research unit (KU Leuven – University of Leuven)
is an ISO 17043 (PT-215) accredited EQA provider,
which is the international standard for conformity assessment
of proficiency testing.

Members of the Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit

Prof. dr. Els Dequeker

Head of the research unit, head EQA coordinator

Nele Laudus

EQA co-coordinator, PhD student

Hilal Cakmak

EQA co-coordinator

Medina Kalimualaeva

PhD student

Thi Mai Phuong Pham

PhD student