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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2016 Dec;25(12):1635-1642.
doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-16-0506. Epub 2016 Sep 15.

The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer (PLCO) Screening Trial Pathology Tissue Resource

Claire S Zhu  1 , Wen-Yi Huang  2 , Paul F Pinsky  3 , Christine D Berg  2 , Mark Sherman  3 , Kelly J Yu  2 , Danielle M Carrick  4 , Amanda Black  2 , Robert Hoover  2 , Petra Lenz  5 , Craig Williams  6 , Laura Hawkins  6 , Matthew Chaloux  6 , Susan Yurgalevitch  7 , Sunitha Mathew  7 , Amy Miller  7 , Vanessa Olivo  7 , Asia Khan  7 , Shannon M Pretzel  8 , Deborah Multerer  9 , Patricia Beckmann  10 , Karen G Broski  11 , Neal D Freedman  2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer (PLCO) Screening Trial Pathology Tissue Resource

Claire S Zhu et al. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2016 Dec.

Abstract

Background: Pathology tissue specimens with associated epidemiologic and clinical data are valuable for cancer research. The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial undertook a large-scale effort to create a public resource of pathology tissues from PLCO participants who developed a cancer during the trial.

Methods: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were obtained from pathology laboratories on a loan basis for central processing of tissue microarrays, with additional free-standing tissue cores collected for nucleic acid extraction.

Results: Pathology tissue specimens were obtained for prostate cancer (n = 1,052), lung cancer (n = 434), colorectal cancer (n = 675) and adenoma (n = 658), ovarian cancer and borderline tumors (n = 212), breast cancer (n = 870), and bladder cancer (n = 204). The process of creating this resource was complex, involving multidisciplinary teams with expertise in pathology, epidemiology, information technology, project management, and specialized laboratories.

Conclusions: Creating the PLCO tissue resource required a multistep process, including obtaining medical records and contacting pathology departments where pathology materials were stored after obtaining necessary patient consent and authorization. The potential to link tissue biomarkers to prospectively collected epidemiologic information, screening and clinical data, and matched blood or buccal samples offers valuable opportunities to study etiologic heterogeneity, mechanisms of carcinogenesis, and biomarkers for early detection and prognosis.

Impact: The methods and protocols developed for this effort, and the detailed description of this resource provided here, will be useful for those seeking to use PLCO pathology tissue specimens for their research and may also inform future tissue collection efforts in other settings. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(12); 1635-42. ©2016 AACR.

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Conflict of interest statement

Dr. Berg reports a consulting fee from Medial EarlySign, a company that develops algorithms from routine laboratory values to assess for potential problems with malignancy.

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