title: Precision medicine in cancer: challenges and recommendations from an EU-funded cervical cancer biobanking study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cervical cancer (CC) remains a leading cause of gynaecological cancer-related mortality worldwide. CC pathogenesis is triggered when human papillomavirus (HPV) inserts into the genome, resulting in tumour suppressor gene inactivation and oncogene activation. Collecting tumour and blood samples is critical for identifying these genetic alterations.
  
  
  METHODS
  BIO-RAIDs is the first prospective molecular profiling clinical study to include a substantial biobanking effort that used uniform high-quality standards and control of samples. In this European Union (EU)-funded study, we identified the challenges that were impeding the effective implementation of such a systematic and comprehensive biobanking effort.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The challenges included a lack of uniform international legal and ethical standards, complexities in clinical and molecular data management, and difficulties in determining the best technical platforms and data analysis techniques. Some difficulties were encountered by all investigators, while others affected only certain institutions, regions, or countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the BIO-RAIDs programme highlight the need to facilitate and standardise regulatory procedures, and we feel that there is also a need for international working groups that make recommendations to regulatory bodies, governmental funding agencies, and academic institutions to achieve a proficient biobanking programme throughout EU countries. This represents the first step in precision medicine.
authors.affiliation: Centrum voor Gynaecologische Oncologie Amsterdam (CGOA), Department of Gynaecology, Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, PO Box 90203, 1006 BE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Samuels
authors.affiliation: SeqOmics Biotechnology ltd, Vállalkozók útja 7, 6782 Mórahalom, Hungary.
authors.forename: Balazs
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Balint
authors.affiliation: Hannover Clinical Trial Centre (HCTC) GmbH, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: von der Leyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioinformatics Institut Curie, Mines ParisTech, 60 Boulevard Saint-Michel, 75006 Paris, France.|CNRS UMR 144, 26 Rue d'Ulm, 75248 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hupé
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie, 26 Rue d'Ulm, 75248 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Koning
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioinformatics, Institut Curie, 26 Rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Choumouss
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kamoun
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioinformatics, Institut Curie, 26 Rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Windy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Luscap-Rondof
authors.affiliation: Hannover Clinical Trial Centre (HCTC) GmbH, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wittkop
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Curie, 26 Rue d'Ulm, 75248 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Ksenia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bagrintseva
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology, Institut of Oncology of Vojvodina (IOV), Put Doktora Goldmana 4, 21204 Sremska Kamenica, Serbia.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Popovic
authors.affiliation: SeqOmics Biotechnology ltd, Vállalkozók útja 7, 6782 Mórahalom, Hungary.
authors.forename: Atttila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kereszt
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, 's-Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Els
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Berns
authors.affiliation: Centrum voor Gynaecologische Oncologie Amsterdam (CGOA), Department of Gynaecology, Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, PO Box 90203, 1006 BE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gemma G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Kenter
authors.affiliation: Centrum voor Gynaecologische Oncologie Amsterdam (CGOA), Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, VU University Medical Centre, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ekaterina S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Jordanova
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Curie, 26 Rue d'Ulm, 75248 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Maud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamal
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Curie, 26 Rue d'Ulm, 75248 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Susy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scholl
mesh_terms: D018070:Biological Specimen Banks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*