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* 54749 82089
Tissue 21608 24827
* 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 6378 5534 1582 1117
GI Anal 93 86 17 8
GI Appendix 104 87 38 10
GI Colon 1759 1165 1198 996
GI Esophageal 475 458 59 44
GI Gallbladder 70 63 15 7
GI Liver 300 248 161 125
GI Other Soft Tissue Sarcoma 11 10 4 0
GI Pancreatic 689 567 315 152
GI Rectal 632 538 196 157
GI Stomach 427 349 157 112
GU Bladder 2258 2080 493 327
GU Kidney 3101 2501 2547 1170
GU Penile 72 66 27 1
GU Prostate 5304 4536 2253 1413
GU Testicular 262 217 141 46
GU Upper Tract Urothelial 344 300 157 104
GYN Cervical 410 384 65 23
GYN Other Soft Tissue Sarcoma 1 0 1 0
GYN Ovary/Fallopian tube/Retroperitoneum/Peritoneum 1218 841 885 107
GYN Uterine 1728 1375 1035 450
GYN Vulvar and Vaginal 301 288 46 11
HN Head, face or neck, NOS 9 6 4 1
HN Larynx 184 152 48 7
HN Mouth or gum 413 365 135 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 847 739 379 218
HN Tongue 538 484 170 46
HN Tonsil 232 216 52 4
Lung Lung 3113 2432 1616 1378
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 2717 2367 768 177

* 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)