The overall goal of this biospecimen procurement core is the collection, maintenance, and distribution of high quality biologic samples from a spectrum of prostate cancer and control patients, along with collection of accurate linked clinical and pathologic data on these samples. The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center's Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in prostate cancer consists of three prostate cancer treatment centers; Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH), NorthShore University HealthSystem (NS/UC), and the University of Chicago (UC). Because these institutions see large numbers of new prostate cancer patients from a spectrum of socioeconomic and ethnic groups, with over 500 annual radical prostatectomies performed, our access to patient derived tissues for research is high and diverse. NMH and NS/UC have successfully implemented sample procurement to support the prostate SPORE efforts and collectively, these facilities have procured samples on more than 4,500 patients since 2001. Samples (tissue, serum, DNA, RNA, and TMAs) and data have been provided for 98 studies to date and plans are underway to integrate specimen collection at UC. The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center Pathology Core Facility (RHLCCC-PCF), a shared resource of the RHLCCC, is independent of but complements the tissue procurement by providing research histology expertise. This core will continue the collection of fixed embedded and fresh frozen tissues, urine, blood and blood components, as well as the acquisition and database storage of essential pathologic and clinical information needed for conducting translational research. Additionally, the facility has constructed and will continue to construct numerous tissue microarrays to suit the needs of SPORE investigators. This resource benefits not only our SPORE investigators, but facilitates research activities of scientists within and outside the parent institutions. This process is supervised by a Sample Review and Disbursement Committee, (including physicians, pathologists and a patient advocate), the SPORE Executive Committee, and is reviewed by the individual Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) on an annual basis.
CORE C NARRATIVE The collection of well-annotated biologic samples is critical to advance the mission of the SPORE in Prostate Cancer to improve our understanding of the biology of prostate cancer, to distinguish lethal disease and to develop novel therapies for this disease.
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