Tumorbank@UZA
Advancing translational research in oncology
Tumorbank@UZA of the Antwerp University Hospital (UZA) is in charge of the collection, storage and exchange of residual tissue and blood of oncological patients. Its main objective is to contribute to translational cancer research. The biobank was set up in 2009 in the context of the National Cancer Plan Initiative 27, which aims to create a national virtual tumorbank containing the data of the different Belgian tumorbanks. These data are available for national and international cancer research in an academic, medical and industrial context.
Tumorbank@UZA follows standard procedures for the collection and storage of human biological samples and the related data. These guidelines for biobanking are based on the criteria of international organisations:
International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER)
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
World Health Organisation (WHO).
Tumorbank@UZA is part of the Multidisciplinary Oncologic Centre of Antwerp (MOCA) and the pathology department of UZA. There is a close collaboration with the clinical biology lab of UZA and the oncologic research group of the Antwerp University. Collaboration with external hospitals ensures a large sample diversity.
Since the Royal Decree on biobanks 09/01/2018 entered into force, the Tumorbank@uza has been incorporated into the Biobank Antwerp. The aims and objectives of Biobank Antwerp are very broadly defined. In principle, the biobank is aimed at supporting all research performed at the University of Antwerp (UA) and the University Hospital Antwerp (UZA), the two founding institutions of the biobank. This entails:
Establish dedicated sample collections, with inclusion of the the tumorbank@uza.
Support prospective sampling, both in UZA/UA and other locations (e.g. multicentric studies).
Enable the use of residual material from diagnostic flows (clinical biology, pathology labs) or from tissue banking.
Support the registration of samples coming from abroad aimed at research at these facilities.
Enable the secondary use of any of the above materials.
More information: Biobank Antwerpen | onderzoekers & gebruikers | UZA en biobankantwerpen@uza.be.
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