we have implemented data collection tools to store the
pre-analytic variables associated with each specimen.
These tools are organized into fields that denote particular
aspects of the patient’s treatment, as well as specific
information about the samples that essentially tells the
“story” for each sample we collect. (Figure 3) For example,
one field contains all the information leading up to
resection of the tumor, such as the type of procedure performed,
laterality, how the patient was diagnosed, clinical
stage, and RCC risk factors. The database also con-
tains relevant pathologic data, including stage and grade,
tumor size, and histologic subtype. We record all of the
data pertaining to the procurement of the tissue, such as
how the tissue was harvested, storage medium, and sample
ischemia time. Finally, we are able to track which tissue
was collected for which laboratory and research
project. REDCap also can export data formatted for various
statistical software packages (e.g. SAS and R) allowing
for efficient analysis of the data as the study matures.
Future Directions
Analysis of biospecimens will be required to meet the increasing
opportunities to advance our understanding of
RCC biology. Current RCC research involves “team science”
in the truest form, relying on clinicians, researchers,
and research coordinators to succeed. As
research tools increase in complexity, strategies to support
these efforts with biospecimens and to collect
biospecimens in novel ways must evolve in parallel. We
intend to expand our internal RCC biospecimen and
repository collaborations among the many laboratories
studying RCC. We will continue to share standard operating
procedures (SOPs) that have been optimized for
specific assays. Further, we are working to share pre-analytic
variables and storage parameters of residual biospecimens
after the completion of the initial experi-
ments. In doing so, we will encourage maximal use of
the collected biospecimens, but also identify opportunities
to build on existing research findings with future
complementary studies. By mandating that laboratories
share this information in a central location, we can effectively
establish a more comprehensive picture of an
individual tumor’s biology by combining and examining
the diverse array of information that each laboratory
generates. We believe that this data will provide greater
insight into the biology of RCC, and in turn fuel collaborations
between researchers to answer more complex
questions about RCC disease process.
We also hope to build collaborations outside of our
institution, sharing SOPs, as well as granular details of
available RCC specimens. The National Cancer Institute
already supports on-line tools to share SOPs and research
specimen information through the Biospecimen Research
Database (https://brd.nci.nih.gov/brd/) and
Biospecimen Pre-analytical Variables (BPV) Program
(https://biospecimens.cancer.gov/programs/bpv/default.
16 Kidney Cancer Journal
asp). These tools, or others created specifically for
groups, will support collaborative studies essential to
studying rare forms of RCC. We appreciate the opportunity
to share our experience developing this infrastructure,
and look forward to efforts within the kidney
cancer research community to build biospecimen repositories
to support the translational and basic research
that will improve the care of patients with kidney cancer.
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