The Biosample Repository The Biosample Repository

Biosample repository

The Biosample Repository Facility (BRF) established in 1999 coordinates the ethical collection, storage, annotation and distribution of human biospecimens under Institutional Review Board-approved protocols. We provide tissue-based research services to support translational and basic research. The facility can link associated clinical data and interventions, patient and family cancer history data, and lifestyle factors to donated biospecimens. To learn more about the Biosample Repository please visit us on  foxchase.org

If you are a Biosample Repository participant please Sign In to continue to the Family History and Health History Questionnaire pages. If you have any question about the Biosample Repository or Participant Portal please contact [email protected]

Table 1. Specimens processed by the Biosample Repository Facility (BRF).
Category Number of unique participants Number of specimens
Blood* 54912 82318
Tissue 21671 24900
* Includes specimens collected for the BRF, Risk Assessment Program and Investigator Protocols
Table 2. Biosample Repository Facility (BRF) Specimen inventory by major disease site
Specimen inventory by major disease site.

FCCC/TUHS staff please use links below to browse inventory and request specimens
Category Disease site Number of cases* Cases with blood specimens** Cases with tumor# tissue Cases with tumor# and NAT##
Breast Breast 6432 5584 1600 1129
GI Anal 93 86 17 8
GI Appendix 106 89 39 10
GI Colon 1764 1169 1200 998
GI Esophageal 476 459 59 44
GI Gallbladder 71 63 15 7
GI Liver 302 250 163 127
GI Other Soft Tissue Sarcoma 11 10 4 0
GI Pancreatic 692 570 315 152
GI Rectal 636 539 200 160
GI Stomach 428 350 157 112
GU Bladder 2262 2084 495 329
GU Kidney 3111 2510 2552 1173
GU Penile 72 66 27 1
GU Prostate 5322 4549 2258 1414
GU Testicular 262 217 141 46
GU Upper Tract Urothelial 346 302 158 105
GYN Cervical 411 384 66 23
GYN Other Soft Tissue Sarcoma 1 0 1 0
GYN Ovary/Fallopian tube/Retroperitoneum/Peritoneum 1221 843 886 108
GYN Uterine 1731 1378 1037 451
GYN Vulvar and Vaginal 302 289 46 11
HN Head, face or neck, NOS 9 6 4 1
HN Larynx 186 154 48 7
HN Mouth or gum 416 368 135 14
HN Nasal cavity and Middle Ear 18 16 5 1
HN Oropharynx 37 34 8 1
HN Other Head and Neck 114 99 29 0
HN Pyriform Sinus 28 22 11 3
HN Salivary 108 86 56 15
HN Thyroid 853 745 384 222
HN Tongue 540 486 170 46
HN Tonsil 235 219 52 4
Lung Lung 3122 2440 1616 1380
Other Other Soft Tissue Sarcoma 2 1 1 0
Sarcoma Bone Sarcoma 54 31 39 8
Sarcoma Other Sarcoma 9 8 5 0
Sarcoma Stomach Sarcoma 149 102 96 13
Sarcoma Uterine Sarcoma 93 64 56 18
Skin Other Soft Tissue Sarcoma 67 45 43 15
Skin Skin 2730 2377 773 178

* Unique patient participants consented to the BRF with either blood or tumor tissue linked to diagnosis at the Fox Chance Cancer Center tumor registry
** Blood specimens include serum, plasma, leukocytes and/or DNA
# Primary and/or metastatic lesions (FFPE and/or frozen)
## Normal adjacent tissue specimens (FFPE and/or frozen)