The
Kolling Institute’s tumour banks began in
1992 and have banked samples from over 5,000 patients for the purpose of
cancer research.
A tumour bank is a repository of deep-frozen
samples of tumour tissue,
corresponding healthy tissue and blood samples from patients.
These stored
samples are used specifically for research to help unravel the causes of
cancer which may lead to new diagnostic tests or improved treatments.
Nurse
Lynette Barrett, who works at the tumour bank with Ussha Pillai, says she feels honoured to play such an important part in the
research process. She consults with the patients and their families
discussing how they can help medical research. She finds most patients
give consent for their tumour to be stored and available for future
research. Often the patients say “it may not help me but I am sure one
day they will find an answer.”
The
Kolling Institute banks many tumour types including breast, brain, and gynaecological tumours, as well as
thyroid, adrenal, parathyroid, pancreatic and gastrointestinal tumours, from surgery conducted at Royal North Shore
and nearby hospitals.
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