Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology Advance Access published online on June 2, 2009
Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology, doi:10.1093/jjco/hyp049
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© The Author (2009). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved
Bio-repository of Post-clinical Test Samples at the National Cancer Center Hospital (NCCH) in Tokyo
1 National Cancer Center Hospital
2 National Cancer Center Center for Cancer Control and Information Services, Tokyo, Japan
For reprints and all correspondence: Koh Furuta, Division of Clinical Laboratories, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan. E-mail: kfuruta{at}ncc.go.jp
Received March 9, 2009; accepted April 20, 2009
We established the Bio-repository at the National Cancer Center Hospital in October 2002. The main purpose of this article is to show the importance and usefulness of a bio-repository of post-clinical test samples not only for translational cancer research but also for routine clinical oncology by introducing the experience of setting up such a facility. Our basic concept of a post-clinical test sample is not as left-over waste, but rather as frozen evidence of a patient's pathological condition at a particular point. We can decode, if not all, most of the laboratory data from a post-clinical test sample. As a result, the bio-repository is able to provide not only the samples, but potentially all related laboratory data upon request. The areas of sample coverage are the following: sera after routine blood tests; sera after cross-match tests for transfusion; serum or plasma submitted at a patient's clinically important time period by the physician; and samples collected by the individual investigator. The formats of stored samples are plasma or serum, dried blood spot (DBS) and buffy coat. So far, 150 218 plasmas or sera, 35 253 DBS and 536 buffy coats have been registered for our bio-repository system. We arranged to provide samples to various concerned parties under strict legal and ethical agreements. Although the number of the utilized samples was initially limited, the inquiries for sample utilization are now increasing steadily from both research and clinical sources. Further efforts to increase the benefits of the repository are intended.
Key Words: bio-repository post-clinical test sample limited storage system clinical laboratory bio-bank