Collection of Tissue Samples for Cancer Research

Background:

-Patients who are being evaluated in the Developmental Therapeutics Clinic, (DTC)/MOB/CCR/NCI will be entered onto this screening and tissue procurement protocol for collection of tissue specimens.

Objectives:

-To obtain samples for research purposes from tests performed for clinical indications or research indications on other research protocols.

Eligibility:

-Patients who are being evaluated for and treated on protocols within the DTC/MOB/CCR/NCI.

Design:

• Specimens for research purposes, as outlined in this protocol, will be obtained from tests and procedures that are done as required by the primary research protocols that a given patient is enrolled in.
• These procedures may include, but are not limited to, laboratory tests on blood, CSF, urine or other specimens; pulmonary function tests; subspecialty consultations; molecular diagnostics on tumor tissues; radiographic and nuclear medicine studies, which may require the administration of contrast or a radioisotope tracer; and needle or open biopsies for diagnostic purposes.
• Procedures will not be performed for the sole purpose of obtaining tissue specimens or biological fluids for research purposes. However, research samples for this protocol will be obtained from tests performed for clinical or research indications on other research protocols.
• Given the risks associated with any procedure, the procedure will be discussed in detail with the patients, including the side effects, prior to obtaining a separate consent for each procedure.
• Tissues and biological fluids to be procured may include but are not limited to blood, serum, urine, tumor tissue, normal tissue, pleural fluid, CSF, saliva, bronchial alveolar lavage (BAL), and bone marrow. These specimens will be stored with patient identifiers and used to perform only those research studies that are outlined in this protocol.
• A patient may remain on this study for a period of 1 month at a time. Once a patient is taken off study, he or she may be re-consented and enrolled at a later time to obtain another research specimen as part of this protocol.