Southwest Oncology Group Biorepository

Blanke, Charles

Abstract

The overall general goals of the Southwest Oncology Group Biospecimen Repository is to support the increased collection of, storage of and access to high-quality, well-annotated human specimens collected from and representative of the patient populations entered into NCI-funded clinical trials. The overall scientific goal in providing this infrastructure is to develop improved prognostic and predictive markers for cancer, to improve molecular staging, to understand mechanisms of treatment resistance, to identify new putative therapeutic targets, and to develop novel therapeutic strategies. These goals are addressed through broad-based multidisciplinary efforts that rely on access to high quality, well characterized biospecimens from diverse population groups and that bring together clinical, laboratory and scientific expertise from within SWOG membership and its affiliates, as well as from individuals outside of SWOG. These activities critically rely on talented investigators, pathologists, biospecimen banks and close working relationships of the biorepository with the submitting institutions, the Operations Office, Statistical Center, investigators and the NCI. Specimens will be released based on the scientific merit of the proposals received via SWOG Translation Science Review process.

Public Health Relevance

The Southwest Oncology Group Biospecimen Repository allows for the collection and storage of annotated specimens which are available to the research community at large. This provides an invaluable source to the research community for answering questions related to the treatment; prevention; and control of cancer.