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Biobank samples

Find out what samples the biobank has available to order. And take a look at the pricing structure.

In this section

Use our Sample Finder to search the biobank.

1. Available material

We offer a variety of cancerous material from female and male breast cancer patients.

Using the criteria below, the biobank can narrow down the samples suitable for your work depending on your scientific question:

  • Receptors – ER, PGR and HER2
  • Patient gender
  • Menopausal status
  • Invasive characteristics – tumour type and grade 
  • Non-invasive characteristics – DCIS status/LCIS status
  • Sample characteristics – preservation method, tissue type, primary or recurrence.

We're also able to provide samples of non-cancerous tissue, either snap frozen or formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE). Non-cancerous tissue available includes:

  • Normal tissue from cosmetic reduction mammoplasties (no history or family history of breast cancer)
  • Tissue from prophylactic mastectomies (carriers of genetic mutations or family history that predisposes breast cancer)
  • Contralateral tissue
  • Surround or adjacent tissue to the tumour

Material from the Breast Cancer Now Biobank is available to researchers from both academic and commercial institutions. The Breast Cancer Now Biobank aims to recover some of the costs for supplying samples to the research community.

Material available and the cost recovery applied is outlined below:

  • Sample type: Unstained FFPE

    Breast Cancer Now Biobank (BCNB) cost recovery for single section:
    Commercial: £12
    Academic (33% discount): £8
    BCN funded: n/a
    BCNB cost recovery for each additional section from same case:
    Commercial: £3
    Academic (33% discount): £2
    BCN funded: n/a

  • Sample type: H&E stained FFPE

    BCNB cost recovery for single slide:
    Commercial: £15
    Academic (33% discount): £10
    BCN funded: n/a

  • Sample type: Snap frozen

    BCNTB cost recovery for single section:
    Commercial: £20
    Academic (33% discount): £13.50
    BCN funded: n/a
    BCNTB cost recovery for each additional section from same case:
    Commercial: £5
    Academic (33% discount): £3.30
    BCN funded: n/a

  • Sample type: Frozen

    BCNB cost recovery for Aliquot:
    Commercial: £100
    Academic (33% discount): £66
    BCN funded: n/a

  • Sample type: TMA

    Pre-made - BCNB cost recovery:
    Commercial: £0.50 per core + £75 TMA fee for 1st section. Additional slides @ 10% cost of 1st section
    Academic: 33% discount on commercial cost
    BCN funded: n/a

  • Sample type: Blood

    BCNB cost recovery for whole blood freshly drawn 8-10ml (vacutainer):
    Commercial: £100
    Academic (33% discount): £66
    BCN funded: n/a
    BCNB cost recovery for buffy coat – usually all obtained per vacutainer, 1- 1.5ml:
    Commercial: £10
    Academic (33% discount): £6.50
    BCN funded: n/a
    BCNB cost recovery for Serum – 500ul:
    Commercial: £10
    Academic (33% discount): £6.50
    BCN funded: n/a
    BCNB cost recovery for Plasma – 500ul:
    Commercial: £10
    Academic (33% discount): £6.50
    BCN funded: n/a

  • Sample type: Services

    BCNB cost recovery for admin fee (per request):
    Commercial: £100
    Academic: n/a
    BCN funded: n/a
    BCNB cost recovery for additional data:
    £40/per hour to retrieve
    BCNB cost recovery for bespoke tissue:
    £60/per hour to process
    BCNB cost recovery for bespoke TMA construction:
    £80 per hour to construct

*Please note, applicants are responsible for courier costs.

2. Bespoke requests

If you're interested in material or data that's not listed above, please contact us as we'd be happy to discuss further whether the Breast Cancer Now Biobank (BCNB) can help you with your sample requirements.

3. Archival collection

The BCNB boasts a unique collection of archival FFPE tissue blocks which are available to the research community.

This collection contains pathological samples from the 1940s through to the 1970s, including breast biopsies, and cancerous and benign lesions of the breast. The data available on the samples includes detailed pathological features at collection.

Our archival collection offers researchers an insight into breast cancer and how the disease has changed since the 1940s.

It also offers access to samples of tumour tissue that have not been affected by neoadjuvant therapy.

FFPE tissue can successfully be used for a range of processes including immunohistochemistry, RNA and DNA extraction. Please see the article 'The value of archival tissue blocks in understanding breast cancer biology' for more information.

The archival collection isn't currently available to request online. Please email us for more information.

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