SPORE laboratory studies outlined in this proposal are expected to lead to the discovery of multiple genetic and phenotypic abnormalities which may occur in lung cancer and to better characterization of those abnormalities already known to exist. In order to relevance of these anticipated discoveries to clinical lung cancer, it will be necessary to analyze human tissues. The purpose of the Tissue Banks Core (TBC) therefore will be to provide SPORE investigators with access to a large number of well preserved and well characterized tumors, dysplastic lesions, benign tissues and tissue fractions for laboratory study. Fixed, frozen and cultured tissue, serum, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, urine and sputum from patients with lung cancer or at risk for lung cancer will be collected. These specimens will be histologically examined, processed for blotting procedures and for in situ marker localization and maintained by a centralized core laboratory at the UCHSC in two tissue banks, a tumor bank and a bank for dysplastic tissues (dysplasia bank). 1. Tumor Bank: Tissue from invasive tumors and adjacent non-neoplastic lung tissue, pretreatment plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with these tumors will be collected and processed from patients entered into all surgical protocols of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG). These specimens will be supplemented by local accessions from UCHSC and the LCIC. The Tumor Bank will constitute a unique national source of uniformly typed, staged, treated and observed tumors. 2. Dysplasia Bank: Sputum cells and supernatants from patients at risk for lung cancer will be obtained and screened through the Lung Cancer Screening and Tissue Procurement Core and will be maintained as an archive in the TBC. Patients with moderate to severe dysplasia by sputum cytology will undergo bronchoscopic examination and biopsies, brushings, washings and lavage specimens from suspicious lesions and from apparently normal epithelium as well as urine specimens will be obtained. Samples of these specimens will be processed and maintained by the TBC. The Dysplasia Bank will be a large and unique source of early neoplastic and preneoplastic specimens. The TBC will permit the most efficient possible use of limited amounts of tissue available from patients with lung cancer or at risk for lung cancer. Materials collected by the TBC will be available to outside investigators on the basis of scientific review as well as to SPORE investigators.
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