What are we collecting?

It might sound simple but having a clear understanding of what is being collected is essential.

1. Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded Blocks (FFPE);
2. Cores – 0.6 to 4 mm FFPE cores;
3. Slides – Coated /Uncoated with various staining including Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E), Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Fluorescence (FL) stains;
4. Whole Blood and dervaitves including plasma, serum, cellular component, DNA and RNA;
5. Urine;
6. Other specimens types are collected in smaller numbers including fresh frozen tissue, buccal swabs, bone marrow and bone marrow aspirates, as well as circulating tumour cells (CTCs).

How are specimens tracked and logged?

The TTDR has developed a logging and tracking database systems and has continually updated and added new functionality over time. Presently this is a complex and interactive system based on an Oracle backbone with features including sample logging, tracking, reporting, tissue microarray tracking, and storing digital images. It is also equipped to cross-check information, as well as generate multiple reports.

How are specimens requested?

There are 2 main ways in which TTDR obtains specimens:

1. For trials requiring the Tissue Bank to request tissue, a request letter is sent to the participating centre with instructions to submit the appropriate material.
2. For trials in which the protocol mandates automatic tissue submission, material is submitted directly by participating centres based on instructions within the protocol.

How do we compensate centres for submitting tissue ?

The standard reimbursement for Canadian Centres is $50.00 per case submitted to the TTDR. A "request for payment form" is submitted with the request letter. The Centre fills out the "request for payment form" and returns it to the bank along with the sample. If centres are submitting tissue without a formal request from the TTDR then a "request for payment form" is provided to each participating Centre to submit along with the sample.

What happens to tissue after it arrives ?

Any tissue arriving at the Bank is de-identified and can only be linked to the clinical database by the NCIC CTG Tumour Bank Coordinator and Central Office Biostatistical Group. All blocks, slides or vials for a particular NCIC CTG Patient ID (eg. CALM0001) are given a unique identifying number called the Tumour Bank ID (TBID). The TBID can then be used to link the block/slide/vial back to other patient identifiers such as accession number and surgical date.

Received specimens can be banked, processed, sent for central pathology review, forwarded for analysis based on the protocol, or provided to researchers for approved correlative science projects.