Tissue banking in a regional hospital: a promising future concept? First report on fresh frozen tissue banking in a hospital without an integrated institute of pathology.
BACKGROUND
Vital tissue provided by fresh frozen tissue banking is often required for genetic tumor profiling and tailored therapies. However, the potential patient benefits of fresh frozen tissue banking are currently limited to university hospitals. The objective of the present pilot study--the first one in the literature--was to evaluate whether fresh frozen tissue banking is feasible in a regional hospital without an integrated institute of pathology.


METHODS
Patients with resectable breast and colon cancer were included in this prospective study. Both malignant and healthy tissue were sampled using isopentan-based snap-freezing 1 h after tumor resection and stored at -80 °C before transfer to the main tissue bank of a University institute of pathology.


RESULTS
The initial costs to set up tissue banking were 35,662 US$. Furthermore, the running costs are 1,250 US$ yearly. During the first 13 months, 43 samples (nine samples of breast cancer and 34 samples of colon cancer) were collected from 41 patients. Based on the pathology reports, there was no interference with standard histopathologic analyses due to the sample collection.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report in the literature providing evidence that tissue banking in a regional hospital without an integrated institute of pathology is feasible. The interesting findings of the present pilot study must be confirmed by larger investigations.
Department of Surgery, Cantonal Hospital Olten, Baslerstrasse 150, 4600, Olten, Switzerland.
Marco
M
von Strauss und Torney
Ulrich
U
Güller
Farid
F
Rezaeian
Philippe
P
Brosi
Luigi
L
Terracciano
Markus
M
Zuber
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D005615:Freezing; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010336:Pathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014015:Tissue Banks / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends