Institute for Translational Epidemiology

Biorepository of WTC Solid Cancers

Why?

  • Occupational cancers among World Trade Center (WTC) responders due to exposure to toxins and carcinogens are becoming more reason for concern with the increasing time frame since the exposure and the aging of the cohort.
  • Supplemental to the current epidemiologic cancer follow-up, the biorepository of cancer tissue is a powerful resource in translational research.

Possible Utilization

  • Infrastructure to address questions such as specific carcinogens exposures and cancer, molecular signatures of exposure, and specific markers of tumor aggressiveness.
  • resource for epidemiologic and outcome studies

How it Works

  • The World Trade Center Health Program contains comprehensive clinical information, cancer treatment and outcomes, and details on environmental exposures that occurred at the WTC site.
  • Linkage between the biorepository and these existing data sets provides investigators endless possibilities for studies on cancer etiology, biology, and outcome and also gene-environment interaction.
  • Availability of cancer specific tissue samples can be disclosed upon request. The tissue samples are retained anonymously. Responder specific (identifier) information is only released with appropriate, documented consent and written IRB approval.

The Numbers

About 575 cancers were diagnosed from 9/12/2001 to 12/31/2008: 22% prostate, 15% digestive system, 7% lung and bronchus, 7% thyroid, 5% kidney and renal, 5% urinary bladder, 5% breast, 4% oral cavity and pharynx, 4 % melanoma, 3% testis, 2% brain and other nervous system and 21% other.

Samples Request

  • Applicants must submit a request online for the use of available samples using the electronic form.
  • A Research Evaluation Panel (REP) will assess the merit of the submitted research proposal once per month.
  • All requests will be reviewed in the order in which they were received.

Biorepository Request Form