When cancer patients create a biobank for breast cancer, there is something special behind it: the passion of wanting to survive and the guarantee of standing up for the interests and rights of the patients who entrust their tissue to PATH.
Women with breast cancer that receive their surgery at one of our cooperating clinics may participate in the PATH Biobank: Gesundheit Nordhessen Klinikum Kassel, Sana Klinikum Offenbach, St. Johannes Hospital Dortmund, Universitätsklinikum Marburg / UKGM.
At a cooperating Breast Center, the gynecologist informs the breast cancer patient about PATH during a detailed consultation interview.
After clarifying all open questions, the patient signs the informed consent forms. She donates the tissue and data to PATH Foundation. One aliquot of the tumor remains her property, PATH stores these aliquots for her.
The tumor tissue is transferred to the clinic’s institute of pathology during the operation and diagnosed according to applicable standards.
After routine diagnostics, the leftover sample material is divided into patient sample and research sample.
All specimens are frozen according to strict quality standards at the lowest temperatures (-150 °C). Breast cancer data from each woman who donates tissue is transmitted to PATH by the cooperating breast center.
The patient sample is kept exclusively for the patient. It can be requested at any time, e.g. for certain tests.
No burden
The tumor tissue used for PATH is obtained during your breast cancer surgery. No additional samples will be taken. For you as a patient, there is no additional procedure.
No risk
The patient data collected is managed in trust by the board members of the PATH Foundation. The data on the samples that are passed on to third parties for research purposes are pseudonymized, i.e. transmitted without names and other personal data.
No costs
The storage of the tissue is free of charge for you as a patient.
Breast cancer tumor tissue and corresponding data sets can be obtained by breast cancer researchers with eligible research projects.
Application
Researchers must submit an application and describe their research project to obtain breast cancer tissues.
Decision
To evaluate the project, the PATH board consults with experts from the foundation’s board of trustees. The decision as to which research projects are funded is made by the board, consisting mainly of female patients.
Research projects funded so far
PATH has been able to support almost 50 research projects with the donated tumor tissue and data. For example, the following research topics were investigated:
If you have any questions about the storage of your tumor tissue at one of PATH’s biobank locations, please do not hesitate to contact the staff of the Munich office.
We are committed to involving breast cancer patients in research and therapy – and do a lot of medical education work for those affected.
Doris C. Schmitt, Member of the Board of the PATH Foundation
To be able to ask the relevant questions after your own breast cancer diagnosis, patients should have some previous knowledge. Therefore, the PATH Members of the Board have been continuously collecting information and passing on the knowledge about breast cancer in a language that is also understandable to laypeople.
The PATH Newsletter is published annually in November with new findings in cancer research, interviews and practical tips. You can order the print edition here via our contact form or download it here.
Because we make ourselves and our concerns heard, we are often invited to participate in committees, speak at congresses or give interviews. For you to read, listen to and watch, we have compiled the most interesting contributions in our press album “PATH-Talk”.