The purpose of this shared resource is to provide human tissues and expert pathologic interpretation for investigators on all of the projects under the direction of expert pathologists. The Histopathology and Tissue/Biological Fluids Resource has been in existence since 1986 and expanded under the support of the GI SPORE. At the end of the year 2000, the Resource includes 1495 banked colorectal carcinoma resection specimens, 306 colorectal adenoma samples, 207 hepatic metastases of colorectal carcinoma, 702 pancreatic carcinoma specimens, 401 xenografts of colorectal carcinoma, 6 pancreatic carcinoma xenografts, 4252 blood specimens from individuals at risk for colorectal carcinoma, and 120 blood specimens from patients with pancreatic cancer. Paraffin-embedded material is also available on the cases with frozen materials and clinical and outcome data are available for the vast majority of resection specimens. Further, the Core includes a collection of 74 pancreatic biopsy specimens (paraffin-embedded) with clinical follow-up and known DPC4 status and a collection of 101 cytologic specimens from pancreatic carcinomas with known clinical outcome and k-ras, p53 and DPC4 gene status. 123 stool specimens are stored from patients with known outcome. Recently 34 pancreatic juice specimens have been collected from patients with a variety of pancreatic diseases. Ten fully characterized pancreas carcinoma cell lines have been prepared from human tumors and reported to ATCC and another 6 lines are fully developed. The various specimens are harvested and banked efficiently for the molecular analyses proposed in the SPORE. Distribution of these specimens to SPORE investigators has resulted in over 100 publications concerning colorectal and pancreatic carcinoma. Furthermore, the pathology expertise developed through this core has been successfully exported to other centers. For example, SPORE support was instrumental in the establishment of an internationally accepted set of morphologic criteria for the categorization of precursor lesions of the pancreas. This resource provides for the procurement of fresh frozen pancreatic carcinomas and for collection of blood and pancreatic juice as well as for expert pathologic consultation to investigators. The resource further supports xenografting of colorectal and pancreatic carcinomas into nude mice. Clinical and family histories are entered into a computerized database that is managed through this core. A mechanism is in place for prioritization of distribution of requested resources to investigators within and external to the Johns Hopkins GI cancer SPORE. Collaboration with investigators at other centers allows the accrual of rare tumor types. Specimens are collected under the supervision of pathologists with expertise in pancreatic neoplasia in close collaboration with clinical specialists in these areas and in similarly close collaboration with basic research investigators to maximize translational impact of the projects.
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