NCI TISSUE AND DATA RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR CANCER RESEARCH 

NIH GUIDE, Volume 26, Number 26, August 8, 1997

 

P.T.





Keywords:

 

National Cancer Institute

 

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) announces to the scientific

community the availability of the following NCI-supported tissue and

data resources for cancer research:

 

o NCI Cooperative Human Tissue Network

 

The NCI Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN) provides normal,

benign, pre-cancerous and cancerous human tissue to the scientific

community for biomedical research.  Human tissue specimens are

collected according to the investigator's individual protocol.

Researchers may specify from among multiple preservation methods

including fresh tissue (in any medium), fixed (in any fixative), and

frozen (snap frozen or frozen in a tissue embedding media such as

OCT).  Requests for histological specimens (for blocks and slides)

will also be considered.  Information routinely provided with the

specimens includes pathology reports and histological

characterization.  Specific additional information may be provided if

requested in advance.  The specimens are most useful for basic and

developmental studies in many areas of cancer research, including

molecular biology, immunology and genetics.  Further information may

be obtained from the CHTN website at

http://wwwicic.nci.nih.gov/chtn/chtnmain.html, or Ms. Marianna

Bledsoe, Resources Development Branch, Cancer Diagnosis Program,

Division of Cancer Treatment, Diagnosis and Centers, NCI. Phone:

(301) 496-7147; FAX: (301) 402-7819; e-mail: mb80s@nih.gov.

 

o Gynecologic Oncology Group Tissue Bank

 

The Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) Tissue Bank can provide

malignant, benign, and normal ovarian, and cervical tissue. Primary

tumor, metastatic tumor (when applicable) and normal adjacent tissue

are available for most cases.  The bank includes snap frozen

specimens, formalin fixed sections, OCT embedded primary tumor, touch

imprint slides and patient serum collected prior to surgery.

Clinical information provided with each case may include patient age

and race in addition to the institutional pathology and operative

reports.  A limited number of  tissue specimens are from patients

entered into GOG clinical trial protocols.  These specimens and the

associated treatment, response and survival data may be available

through collaboration with GOG investigators following review and

approval by the GOG Ovarian Committee.  The bank was established to

provide carefully preserved specimens needed for molecular biology

studies of gynecologic tumors.  For further information, contact the

GOG Tissue Bank, Children's Hospital, J058, 700 Children's Drive,

Columbus, OH 43205;  Phone: (614) 722-2890; FAX: (614) 722-2897.

 

o NCI Cooperative Breast Cancer Tissue Resource

 

The NCI Cooperative Breast Cancer Tissue Resource (CBCTR) can provide

researchers with access to approximately 8,000 cases of formalin-

fixed, paraffin-embedded primary breast cancer tissues, with

associated pathology and clinical data.  Tissue and data are

available from patients treated locally in four diverse geographic

areas of the United States.  Tissue sections are prepared to meet the

criteria of individual research protocols.  All specimens are

reviewed to verify the pathologic diagnosis.  Clinical and outcome

data include: diagnosis, demographic data, extent of disease,

treatment, follow-up, recurrence, survival, and vital status. Cases

are available for study, representing all stages of disease,

including a large number of cases who received no adjuvant radiation

or chemotherapy or were treated with conserving surgery and radiation

but no chemotherapy.  The collection is particularly well-suited for

validation studies of diagnostic and prognostic markers.  Interested

researchers may perform searches of the database on the CBCTR's World

Wide Web site at http://www-cbctr.ims.nci.nih.gov to determine if

tissues appropriate for their experiments exist within the Resource

and apply to the Resource for the use of these tissues.  For further

information, contact Ms. Sherrill Long, Information Management

Services, Inc., 12501 Prosperity Drive, Suite 200, Silver Spring MD

20904;  Phone: (301) 680-9770, FAX: (301) 680-8304; e-mail:

sherrill@ssims.nci.nih.gov.

 

o NCI-NAPBC Breast Cancer Specimen and Data Information System

 

This database, which is available on the World Wide Web,

(http://cancernet.nci.nih.gov/breastdata) contains a listing of

institutions that are willing to provide breast cancer specimens

and/or data to biomedical researchers.  Collaborative relationships

may be required by some institutions.  For each resource listed in

the database, information is provided on the number and types of

specimens, the availability of associated clinical and outcome data,

procedures for obtaining access to the specimens or data, costs, and

limitations of use. The database may be searched for key words.  For

further information, contact Paul Hurwitz, Westat, Inc.  Phone: (301)

738 - 8313; e-mail: referral@westat.com.

 

o NCI Cooperative Family Registry for Breast Cancer Studies and NCI

Cooperative Family Registry for Colorectal Cancer Studies

 

The Cooperative Family Registry for Breast Cancer Studies (CFRBCS)

provides biological specimens from participants with a family history

of breast cancer, breast/ovarian cancer, or Li-Fraumeni syndrome, and

their relatives, as follows: tissue sections from paraffin embedded

breast and ovarian cancers; peripheral blood lymphocytes, serum,

fresh frozen tissue (when available), and other biological fluids.

The CFRBCS will provide related family history (pedigrees), clinical,

demographic and epidemiologic data on risk factors exposures. The

CFRBCS will also provide follow-up epidemiologic data as well as data

on recurrence, new morbidity, and mortality in the participating

families. Biological specimens and the clinical, family history, and

epidemiologic data are available to the research community at large.

The CFRBCS's repository and related databases are particularly suited

to support interdisciplinary and translational breast cancer

research. Additional information may be obtained from the CFRBCS site

on the World Wide Web at http://www-dceg.ims.nci.nih.gov/cfrbcs or

Dr. Daniela Seminara, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics,

NCI, Phone: (301) 496-9600; FAX: (301) 402-4279; e-mail:

seminard@epndce.nci.nih.gov.

 

A similar resource for colorectal cancer, the Cooperative Family

Registry for Colorectal Cancer Studies, has been recently

established, and it is expected that it will be available to the

research community at large in early 1998.  For further information

contact Dr. Daniela Seminara, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and

Genetics, NCI, Phone: (301) 496-9600; FAX: (301) 402-4279; e-mail:

seminard@epndce.nci.nih.gov.

 

o NCI AIDS Malignancy Bank

 

The NCI AIDS Malignancy Bank (AMB) is a collection of tissues and

biological fluids with associated clinical and follow-up data from

patients with HIV-related malignancies. The specimens and clinical

data are available for research studies, particularly those that

translate basic research findings to clinical application.  The AMB

contains formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissues, fresh frozen

tissues, malignant cell suspensions, fine needle aspirates, and cell

lines from patients with HIV-related malignancies. The bank also

contains serum, plasma, urine, bone marrow, cervical and anal

specimens, saliva, semen and multi-site autopsy tissues from patients

with HIV-related malignancies including those who have participated

in clinical trials. The bank has an associated database that contains

prognostic, staging, outcome and treatment data on patients from whom

tissues were obtained. The AMB makes these tissues available to

qualified investigators in the United States for research on HIV-

related malignancies.  Additional information may be obtained from

the AMB site on the World Wide Web at

http://wwwicic.nci.nih.gov/amb/amb.html, or Dr. Ellen Feigal, Cancer

Therapy Evaluation Program, Division of Cancer Treatment, Diagnosis

and Centers, NCI, Phone: (301) 496-2522; Fax: (301) 402-0557; e-mail:

ef30d@nih.gov.  Additional AIDS oncology information may be obtained

on the World Wide Web at http://ctep.info.nih.gov by selecting AIDS

Oncology Resources.

 

Other human tissue resources for cancer research may be available

through collaborative arrangements.  For further information, please

contact Ms. Marianna Bledsoe, Resources Development Branch, Cancer

Diagnosis Program, Division of Cancer Treatment, Diagnosis and

Centers, NCI.  Phone: (301) 496-7147; FAX: (301) 402-7819; e-mail:

mb80s@nih.gov.

 

.

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