SWOG is an adult clinical trials cancer group within the National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). SWOG clinical trials include a range of cancer types (e.g., breast, lung, colon, prostate, leukemia, melanoma, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma). The SWOG Biospecimen Bank (Biobank), located in the Biopathology Center (part of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute of Nationwide Children's Hospital), was designed to procure, process, bank, and distribute biospecimens collected as a major component of NCI- sponsored clinical trials. These biospecimens are linked to demographic information, surgical and pathological reports, and treatment and follow-up data of study participants enrolled on SWOG protocols. Upon review and approval, biospecimens are prioritized for distribution to the specific SWOG investigators defined in the clinical trial protocols. After the needs of the planned research have been addressed, residual (legacy) banked biospecimens can be distributed to other investigators within and outside SWOG via the NCTN Navigator. The SWOG Group and Biobank Concierges can also facilitate access to SWOG legacy biospecimens that are not currently uploaded in Navigator. This process has been designed to mirror the process for legacy biospecimens on the Navigator system and includes a feasibility assessment by the SWOG Biobank and the SWOG Statistical and Data Management Center prior to proposal submission. The Biobank is a functioning and viable part of SWOG's clinical and translational medicine program, and focuses on the integration of diagnostic, therapeutic, laboratory, and clinical data to answer questions in clinical and translational research. The SWOG Biobank works under the hypothesis that banking of high quality, clinically-annotated and cancer- related human biospecimens, linked to molecular signatures/markers, will significantly facilitate and further advance clinical cancer research. To support this effort, the SWOG Biobank manages these biospecimens under strict guidelines and standard operating procedures based on current Best Practices for biorepositories and the latest laboratory technologies. The Biobank's experience, coupled with a firm commitment to quality and integrity operations, makes it uniquely able to provide an accurate and effective resource of tumor and normal samples with associated clinical, epidemiologic, and protected health information. The SWOG Biobank aims to harmonize and expand general banking practices and innovative technologies, which will continue to facilitate molecular biology research and increase investigator participation in clinical research trials via the NCI-sponsored Group Banking Committee (GBC). The SWOG Biobank also plans to support the processing, banking, and distribution of biospecimens to the Cancer Immune Monitoring and Analysis Centers (CIMACs).
Cancer research is dependent on the availability of high quality biospecimens linked to patient information from clinical trials. The SWOG Biospecimen Bank collects, processes, banks and distributes biospecimens from adult cancer patients enrolled on NCI-sponsored clinical trials. These biospecimens are eventually used by researchers to study different types of cancer. The results of this research benefits patients through discovery of targeted therapy and/or improved outcomes and survival with the ultimate goal of cancer prevention and cure.
| Miles, George; Rae, James; Ramalingam, Suresh S et al. (2015) Genetic Testing and Tissue Banking for Personalized Oncology: Analytical and Institutional Factors. Semin Oncol 42:713-23 |
