title: SWOG Cooperative Group biorepository resource: access for scientific research studies.
abstract: SWOG (formerly the Southwest Oncology Group), a National Cancer Institute-supported cooperative group, conducts multi-institutional, multidisciplinary clinical trials for adult patients with cancer, covering a wide range of solid tumors and hematologic cancers. The group has amassed a large set of biospecimens, collected from patients in numerous studies over many years and linked to clinical data. SWOG is now actively promoting the use of this unique scientific resource by making it available to a much wider group of researchers. This biospecimen resource offers material for research on disease mechanisms, genomic changes associated with cancer progression, markers of response and resistance to therapies, diagnosis or detection of recurrence, and more. By collecting, storing, and distributing the specimens, SWOG provides the framework for translational scientists to complete the feedback loop from "bedside to bench." This article provides an overview of the group's biospecimen resources and guidelines for gaining access to them.
authors.affiliation: Southwest Oncology Group and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. hobanc@themmrf.org
authors.forename: Carolyn J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hoban
authors.forename: Wilbur
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.forename: Kenneth J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Kopecky
authors.forename: Laurence H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Baker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D014015:Tissue Banks / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends