Med Oncol (2008) 25:471–473
DOI 10.1007/s12032-008-9060-4
LETTER
A pilot study for human tumor/DNA banking: returned
more questions than answers
A. Celebiler Cavuşoğlu Æ S. Saydam Æ M. Alakavuklar Æ T. Canda Æ
A. Sevinç Æ Y. Kılıç Æ O. Harmancıoğlu Æ M. A. Koçdor Æ M. Kınay Æ
H. Alanyalı Æ I. Görken Æ P. Balcı Æ B. Demirkan Æ M. Sakızlı Æ
G. Güner
Received: 20 April 2007 / Accepted: 22 June 2007 / Published online: 8 April 2008
Ó Humana Press Inc. 2008
Abstract A pilot study was performed for setting up the technology, molecular diagnostics, and other biotechnol-
Dokuz Eylül University Breast Tumor DNA Bank (DEU- ogy areas; and tumor/DNA banks play a central role in
BTB) to facilitate the sharing of tumor DNA/RNA samples oncologic translational research by providing a natural
and related data from cases collected by collaborators spe- focal point for both molecular and clinical streams of
cializing in the breast cancer diseases between 2004 and 2006. information [1, 2]. Realizing the importance of banking the
The pilot study aimed to provide answers for certain questions tumor samples together with their clinical data and keeping
on: (1) ethical concerns (informing the volunteer for donating them in a readily available form motivated many
specimen, anonymizing the sample information, procedure on researchers around the world to build their biobanks of
sample request), (2) obtaining and processing samples their research areas, since it means adding results of con-
(technical issues, flowchart), (3) storing samples and their secutive studies to each other with minimum cost and time
products (storing forms and conditions), (4) clinical database delays in a continuously growing sample group. This
(which clinical data to store), (5) management organization resulted in many biobanks in many areas of health
(quality and quantity of personnel, flowchart for management research. But, unlike other research tools such as cell lines
relations), (6) financial issues (establishment and maintenance and mouse models, the tumor/DNA banks incorporating
costs). When the bank had 64 samples, even though it is quite human tissues and data invoke more complex social,
ready to supply samples for a research project, it revealed medical, and multidisciplinary issues [3].
many questions on details that may be answered in more than
one way, pointing that all biobanks need to be controlled by a
higher degree of management party which develops and offers Setting up the DEUTB
quality standards for these establishments.
The Dokuz Eylül University Breast Tumor Group
Keywords Biobank Tumour biobank (DEBTG) of the departments of Medical Biology and
Genetics and the Institute of Oncology aims to facilitate the
sharing of tumor DNA/RNA samples and related data from
The ‘Biobanks’ cases collected by collaborators specializing in the breast
cancer diseases and collaborated for setting up the Dokuz
Cancer therapy is shifting toward a ‘‘targeted medicine’’ Eylül University (DEU) Breast Tumor/DNA Bank in Izmir,
today with the advances in genomic research, information Turkey. A pilot study was performed for setting up the
biobank between 2004 and 2006.
A. C. Cavuşoğlu (&) S. Saydam M. Alakavuklar T. Canda The DEU Human Breast Tumor/DNA Bank (DEUBTB)
A. Sevinç Y. Kılıç O. Harmancıoğlu M. A. Koçdor collected and stored a wide range of DNA and RNA
M. Kınay H. Alanyalı I. Görken P. Balcı B. Demirkan samples from breast tumor and adjacent normal tissue and
M. Sakızlı G. Güner
constituted a database of pathological and clinical data.
Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine and Institute of
Oncology, Izmir, Turkey The pilot study aimed to provide the answers for certain
e-mail: questions on: (1) ethical concerns (informing the volunteer
DOI 10.1007/s12032-008-9060-4
LETTER
A pilot study for human tumor/DNA banking: returned
more questions than answers
A. Celebiler Cavuşoğlu Æ S. Saydam Æ M. Alakavuklar Æ T. Canda Æ
A. Sevinç Æ Y. Kılıç Æ O. Harmancıoğlu Æ M. A. Koçdor Æ M. Kınay Æ
H. Alanyalı Æ I. Görken Æ P. Balcı Æ B. Demirkan Æ M. Sakızlı Æ
G. Güner
Received: 20 April 2007 / Accepted: 22 June 2007 / Published online: 8 April 2008
Ó Humana Press Inc. 2008
Abstract A pilot study was performed for setting up the technology, molecular diagnostics, and other biotechnol-
Dokuz Eylül University Breast Tumor DNA Bank (DEU- ogy areas; and tumor/DNA banks play a central role in
BTB) to facilitate the sharing of tumor DNA/RNA samples oncologic translational research by providing a natural
and related data from cases collected by collaborators spe- focal point for both molecular and clinical streams of
cializing in the breast cancer diseases between 2004 and 2006. information [1, 2]. Realizing the importance of banking the
The pilot study aimed to provide answers for certain questions tumor samples together with their clinical data and keeping
on: (1) ethical concerns (informing the volunteer for donating them in a readily available form motivated many
specimen, anonymizing the sample information, procedure on researchers around the world to build their biobanks of
sample request), (2) obtaining and processing samples their research areas, since it means adding results of con-
(technical issues, flowchart), (3) storing samples and their secutive studies to each other with minimum cost and time
products (storing forms and conditions), (4) clinical database delays in a continuously growing sample group. This
(which clinical data to store), (5) management organization resulted in many biobanks in many areas of health
(quality and quantity of personnel, flowchart for management research. But, unlike other research tools such as cell lines
relations), (6) financial issues (establishment and maintenance and mouse models, the tumor/DNA banks incorporating
costs). When the bank had 64 samples, even though it is quite human tissues and data invoke more complex social,
ready to supply samples for a research project, it revealed medical, and multidisciplinary issues [3].
many questions on details that may be answered in more than
one way, pointing that all biobanks need to be controlled by a
higher degree of management party which develops and offers Setting up the DEUTB
quality standards for these establishments.
The Dokuz Eylül University Breast Tumor Group
Keywords Biobank Tumour biobank (DEBTG) of the departments of Medical Biology and
Genetics and the Institute of Oncology aims to facilitate the
sharing of tumor DNA/RNA samples and related data from
The ‘Biobanks’ cases collected by collaborators specializing in the breast
cancer diseases and collaborated for setting up the Dokuz
Cancer therapy is shifting toward a ‘‘targeted medicine’’ Eylül University (DEU) Breast Tumor/DNA Bank in Izmir,
today with the advances in genomic research, information Turkey. A pilot study was performed for setting up the
biobank between 2004 and 2006.
A. C. Cavuşoğlu (&) S. Saydam M. Alakavuklar T. Canda The DEU Human Breast Tumor/DNA Bank (DEUBTB)
A. Sevinç Y. Kılıç O. Harmancıoğlu M. A. Koçdor collected and stored a wide range of DNA and RNA
M. Kınay H. Alanyalı I. Görken P. Balcı B. Demirkan samples from breast tumor and adjacent normal tissue and
M. Sakızlı G. Güner
constituted a database of pathological and clinical data.
Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine and Institute of
Oncology, Izmir, Turkey The pilot study aimed to provide the answers for certain
e-mail: questions on: (1) ethical concerns (informing the volunteer
