Consent & Privacy
All patients who elect to donate their tissue to the NCTC have signed a consent form that has been approved by the UMCIRB. Each sample is assigned an identification number to protect the privacy of the patient under HIPAA guidelines. Only demographic, treatment, and diagnostic information will be provided to the investigator.
Collection, Procurement, and Storage
Surgical specimens are presented to the pathology department, where tissue samples are taken for banking. Tissue is only procured after a pathologist has examined the specimen and obtained pertinent information necessary for patient care (e.g. diagnosis, inking of margins, etc.). All samples are freshly frozen and stored at the Brody School of Medicine until requested for use by an investigator.
Sample Records
Sample data (e.g. age, gender, race, treatment, diagnosis) is organized in an electronic database that allows the NCTC to locate samples according to the investigator's needs. Diagnostic information comes directly from the official report issued by the pathology department, and is documented in the tissue database. The NCTC provides the investigator with as much information as possible.
