Tumour Tissue Repository
British Columbia Cancer Agency Tumour Tissue Repository (BCCA-TTR)
The BC Cancer Agency Tumour Tissue Repository (TTR) is a provincial resource to support translational cancer research at the BC Cancer Agency, and across Canada and internationally.
Operation
The TTR is a biobank that collects biospecimens (tissues and blood), and clinical information and processes these to create anonymous cases that can be studied by cancer researchers to understand how cancer develops, how it grows, how it spreads, and how it responds to treatment. These tissues and data are obtained from patients who undergo surgery to treat a tumour and who have generously provided their consent for the TTR to collect tissues that are unused after diagnosis has been completed.
Location
The TTR is a provincial program that currently comprises a core biobank at the Vancouver Island Center, Victoria, that offers participation in the program to patients in Victoria and Nanaimo. The TTR works with other banks and expert translational research groups in BC, to create expanded capacity for collection and opportunities for research access to tissue resources.
Oversight
The TTR operates under the management and oversight of the director, a scientific advisory board, and the UBC BCCA Research Ethics board. The TTR operates within organizational policies and a commitment to protection of donor privacy that is embodied in all standard operating procedures and aspects of the repository. The TTR is also a founding member and contributor to the development of provincial (the BC BioLibrary) and national (CTRNet) initiatives to promote biobanking.
Funding
The TTR has been largely supported by the generosity of donors to the BC Cancer Foundation. The TTR also operates with substantial and critical logistic support from the Departments of Pathology and Surgery, Vancouver Island Health Authority.
Links
TTR Questionnaire
Affiliated Sites
Vancouver Cancer Centre The BC BioLibrary Canadian Tumour Repository Network Office of Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories Royal Jubilee Hospital Victoria General Hospital Nanaimo Regional General Hospital
Other Canadian Tumour Banks
The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research Reseau De Recherche sur la Cancer (FRSQ) Alberta Cancer Board Polyomx Manitoba Breast Tumor Bank
Demo Sites for Tissue Bank Operators Only
The following links are for tissue bank operators who wish to evaluate our application. Please contact Dr. Peter Watson (pwatson@bccancer.bc.ca) to gain access to these demo sites.
CTRNet-TTR Application Demo
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