Samples from The P.A. Hospital Tumour Tissue Bank are provided for a small charge with the intention of facilitating research into cancer. The samples must be used in the manner described in the application as provided to the Tumour Tissue Bank. Any change in the project direction must be communicated in writing to the Tumour Tissue Bank who reserve the right to withdraw support. Samples must not be given or sold to other investigators.

The P.A. Hospital Tumour Tissue Bank samples are provided without revealing the patient’s name or date of birth. No attempts should be made by the Investigator to identify the patient or to determine other patient information. If additional information is required, it should be requested through the Tumour Tissue Bank or the treating doctor.

The tissues are collected fresh in the operating room and immediately frozen, giving high quality RNA in most cases. However, if the quality of the RNA is poor for any individual sample, the Tumour Tissue Bank will, to it’s best ability, replace the specimen with similar tissue.

While samples are not stored from patients with known HIV, Tuberculosis or Hepatitis B, the screening of patients for the presence of such pathogens is not routine. All samples should be handled with the utmost care to prevent infection with pathogens. No responsibility will be taken by the Tumour Bank for injury or illness that may occur to staff handling the samples.

There will usually be a small charge for the provision of specimens by the Tumour Bank, however the costs of packaging and transport of the specimens will be borne by the individual requesting the samples. Funds contributed to the Tumour Tissue Bank are only used for ongoing maintenance of the Bank and for further tissue procurement.

The Investigator/s are required to provide an annual report (or on completion of the project if this period is less than a year) indicating the percentage of samples which have provided useful information, whether the study is still continuing, and the anticipated date of study completion. You will not be requested to reveal the results of the study in this report. At study completion, any remaining samples should be returned to the Tumour Tissue Bank for use by others.

If the Tumour Tissue Bank has contributed tissue for a project, the Investigator will be required to acknowledge the Tumour Tissue Bank in any publications or presentations resulting from work on Tumour Tissue Bank samples. Failure to recognise the Tumour Tissue Bank in this manner will render the individual and/or the institution ineligible for future Tumour Tissue Bank applications.

A copy of any publication resulting from use of Tumour Tissue Bank samples should be forwarded to the Tumour Tissue Bank.

Samples will not be provided until a signed copy of the Agreement has been received by the Tumour Tissue Bank.