THE INFRASTRUCTURE BEHIND BIOBANKING IN QUEBEC


Cancer research aims to better understand the appearance, development and dissemination of this disease. Some types of cancer research focus on the identification of markers that could be used in early diagnosis or that may help define the prognosis of the patient. These markers can also help identify specific types of tumours that are more responsive to targeted therapies. Other types of cancer research may focus on the discovery of new treatments or combinations of treatments, while studying their mechanisms of action and how cancer cells may develop resistance.

In order to carry out these types of research, access to high caliber biological material is indispensable; this is the origin of the RRCancer. For close to 20 years now, the RRCancer network has been providing researchers with the tools they need to adhere to the Best Biobanking Practices and guiding them through every step of the process. In this age of precision medicine, where large initiatives aim to pool samples, the harmonization of practices ensures the standardization of resources across the different centres.

The banking steps include: