# Get your reports, raw data and sample details Keep the originals, request the missing pieces, and confirm they actually reach the next person. ![Article illustration](https://kevinwimer.com/media/3cf97720-feca-4421-89df-13957a67e66b) Author: Kevin Wimer Canonical URL: https://kevinwimer.com/resources/medical-records/ Stable ID: 892119f9-0439-4e43-b467-66c99bc7be7c Revision: 5c4c5f36-6e0b-45d1-842f-9b308ae9f3e8 Published: 2026-10-23T00:00:15.301Z Updated: 2026-10-23T00:00:15.301Z Reviewed: 2026-10-22 ## Who this is for For patients and caregivers preparing questions with their cancer care team. ## 1. Make one folder for the originals Collect these as they become available: 1. Pathology and molecular-testing reports. 2. Scan reports and the actual imaging files, not just screenshots. 3. Treatment names, dates, doses and reasons for stopping. 4. The current medication list and care-team contacts. 5. Sample identifiers, storage location and the process for requesting a transfer. Keep a separate one-page summary. It is an index to the records, not a replacement for them. ## 2. Ask for the files the next team needs A PDF report is the interpretation. The underlying sequencing data may be separate. A researcher or lab might request FASTQ, BAM/CRAM or variant files; ask which files they can actually use before collecting enormous downloads. Use this request with the hospital or lab: > Please send me electronic copies of my pathology, molecular-testing and imaging reports, plus instructions for obtaining the underlying imaging and sequencing data you maintain. Please list available file formats and any charges. For tissue, please identify what material remains, where it is held, and the process for an authorized transfer to another lab. US HIPAA rights generally cover access to medical records held by covered providers and plans, with exceptions. That does not automatically mean every lab must create a new data export or release all tissue. Ask for the applicable policy if a request is refused. ## 3. Track the handoff My sequencing order went by fax. A good test is no help if the order never arrives. Use a simple tracker: **item · sending office · receiving office · requested date · confirmed received · next action**. After an order or transfer is sent, confirm receipt with the receiving team. If it is missing, find the named person who will resend it. Keep the confirmation. ## 4. Share a copy, keep the original Check who can access your files, how long they are retained, and whether the service can reuse them. Use the recipient’s secure upload route. For a family member, arrange the required permission rather than sharing a login. [AI can help organize the records](/resources/ai-cancer-research/). Check its summary against the documents before sending it to a doctor. ## Limits and context The access-rights discussion is US-specific and general. Raw-data availability, authorized caregiver access, imaging transfer and tissue-release rules differ by organization and jurisdiction. ## Relationships and disclosures No paid placement. I have no investment, advisory role, paid partnership or other financial relationship with the twelve companies in this initial directory. ## Sources - [Your medical records](https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-individuals/medical-records/index.html) — US Department of Health and Human Services; official; checked 2026-10-22; US medical-record access rights and limitations. This is not a blanket rule about ownership of tissue or access to every raw data file. - [FCCT research support and practical playbooks](https://sijbrandijfoundation.org/fcct) — Sijbrandij Foundation; official; checked 2026-10-22 - [My sequencing order went by fax](https://x.com/kevinace/status/2112699168988815609) — Kevin Wimer on X; experience; checked 2026-10-22; Personal experience, read in Kevin’s supplied X export. Not independent clinical evidence. Topics: records Capabilities: Related record IDs: 9f20f130-cad1-494e-bf40-bd02d30f01cd, f7221927-6b87-4be3-9a7c-906768a192a5, 9b177c5c-fa1e-430f-b09b-0e9c4391983d Related X discussion: https://x.com/kevinace/status/2112699168988815609 Follow Kevin on X: https://x.com/kevinace Educational information, not an individualized treatment recommendation.