The overall objective of the Tissue Procurement Facility (TPF) Shared Resource is to procure and provide needed tissue specimens to Stanford Cancer Center investigators to support their cancer-related research. TPF activities and services include collecting and banking freshly frozen tumor and normal tissue from excess surgical material and from autopsy, providing fresh tumor tissue for viable cell studies, processing and banking blood specimens (plasma, serum, leukocyte DNA) from cancer patients, maintaining a tissue database with links to clinicopathological data, providing histological staining and pathological review and coordinating patient consent and ensuring regulatory compliance. As a centralized shared resource, the TPF adds value through experience, efficiency, standardization, accountability, protection of patient confidentially and timely completion of research. An oversight committee provides recommendations on facility policies and activities, and performs scientific and logistical review of service requests. Though largely supported by the Cancer Center and the School of Medicine, operating costs are defrayed by modest user fees. In the past 12 months alone, the TPF has provided over 450 fresh and frozen tissue specimens to 25 Cancer Center investigators from eight Cancer Center programs, to support cutting-edge cancer research in diverse areas, including cancer genomics, cancer stem cells and molecular imaging. The TPF also provides a portal to a """"""""virtual bank"""""""" linking inventories of specialized """"""""satellite"""""""" repositories, including collections of hematological and neurosurgical specimens. Future plans include increasing specimen capture to meet growing investigator needs, and expanding a new paraffin block collection.
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