The usefulness of basic science advances to cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment outcomes may be limited if it is not linked to epidemiological as well as clinical characteristics of study participants. The goal of the Data Bank and BioRepository (DBBR) Resource is to meet the scientific needs of CCSG Program members for studies of cancer etiology, detection, treatment and prognosis, by providing detailed data on participants, including exposure, medical, dietary and lifestyle histories, matched with biologic specimens. This new Resource was established with the Institute and CCSG Developmental funds. It is anticipated that the number of members from all CCSG programs using the Resource will increase as its holdings expand. Samples include aliquots of plasma, serum, red blood cells and DNA extracts that are collected, processed and stored in a rigorous manner and linked with clinical patient information. Cancer patients, as well as those at high risk of cancer, are consented by DBBR staff to provide a blood specimen to be used for future research, to complete an in-depth epidemiological questionnaire and to allow linkage with data from their medical records as well as any results from studies performed using their archived tissue. Cancer-free family members, friends and visitors of patients also are invited to participate to serve as 'controls'and are consented in a similar fashion. Standardized procedures are in place for eligible participant identification, consenting and collection of biospecimens, and enrollment is conducted through clinics for most cancer sites. To ensure quality, specimens are immediately processed, stored in 0.5ml aliquots and stored in liquid nitrogen, to maintain collection-to-freeze time standards to minimize sample degradation. Detailed annotation and tracking procedures are in place. Cell viability analyses are conducted in collaboration with the Flow and Image Cytometry Resource. DNA extraction is performed by the Microarray and Genomics Resource. Quality of clinical, epidemiological, and specimen tracking and inventory is managed through highly relational, password-protected databases and customized software. Samples and data are available through a chargeback mechanism to CCSG Program members and include those from patients diagnosed with breast, lung, GYN, GU, Gl, head and neck, melanoma, soft tissue sarcoma, lymphoma, neurological cancers as well as bone marrow transplant patients. This Resource is unique for translational research because it provides high-quality epidemiological data linked to rigorously processed biospecimens that are characterized by pathological and clinical information;thereby, actively facilitating studies of cancer risk, progression and outcome in an environment that ensures confidentiality. The Resource is used by all six CCSG Programs and 99% of users are CCSG members. $77,818 in CCSG support is requested, representing 18% of the total operating budget.
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