A tissue holding and processing technique suitable for immunofluorescence, histochemical, and light microscopic analysis of the same specimen. The tissue is first placed in formol sucrose, and then transferred to gum sucrose. The tissue is subsequently washed in phosphate buffered saline, then acetone-water, then acetone, and finally in xylene. Finally, the tissue is embedded in paraffin. Tissue processed according to the present invention may be stored indefinitely in the gum sucrose or paraffin.