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The biospecimen resource of the University Cancer Center Hamburg (UCCH) - the UCCH Biobank - stores cancer-derived and cancer-relevant biospecimens that range from fresh frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue of solid tumors to blood cells, serum, urine and more processed biomaterials like DNA, RNA and protein extracts.

Given the high level of expertise required for appropriate acquisition, processing and storage of some types of biosamples (e.g. as required for tumoroid/organoid production or tissue slice culture), not all biobank-related services and repositories are being centralized. Instead, these specialist biobanks remain under individual departmental control, as experience shows that this ensures the highest sample quality.

Sample requests should be submitted to UCCH-Biobank . Questions concerning biobanking at UCCH and UKE can be addressed to the UCCH Biobank Coordinator.

UCCH Biobanking Coordinator:

Dr. Britta Fritzsche

+49 (0) 40 7410 - 51844 b.fritzsche@uke.de

The main tasks of the UCCH Clinical Cancer registry (CCR) are the quality-assured documentation for internal and external review processes and certifications, the continuous reporting of data to the 'Hamburg Cancer Registry' and the documentation of research data as well as the provision of data for scientific projects.

The CCR is based on the “Gießener Tumordokumentationssystem” (GTDS) IT system providing a defined standard data set including diagnosis, treatment, disease course as well as ITB recommendations and follow-up information.

Under the following link you will find details and forms how to access reserach data from UCCH: UCCH data for reserach (only UKE Intranet).

For further information please contact UCCH Reserach Data

Together with three other UKE biobanks, the UCCH-Biobank is active in the so-called GBN (German Biobanking Node) and provides researchers in Hamburg with optimal conditions for stronger networking and exchange at both national and European level. In addition to the UCCH, the biobank of the population-based Hamburg City Health Study ( HCHS ), the Hamburg Patient Information System Multiple Sclerosis Biobank ( HAPIMS ) and the biobank of the Clinical Cohort Studies (CCS) at the University Heart and Vascular Centre are currently participating in the national network.

On the GBN website you can search for biospecimens and related data via the so-called "Sample Locator" and the "German Biobank Directory", but you can also download manuals or find out about current events in the field of biobanking.

Details concerning the centralized services for biobanking and other non-oncological UKE-biobanks are listed below:

The German National Kohort (GNC) study center Hamburg . Details how to receive data for research projects (only UKE-Intranet).

Vice Deanery for Research (only German website)

UKE Reserach-IT Buisness Unit (only UKE-Intranet)

Medical Association Hamburg - information how to submit applications to the ethics board (in German only)

Schedule of ethics board meetings (in German only)

For general information regarding biobanks and sampling of biospecimen please refere to:

German Biobank Node

What is a biobank? (in German only)

Technology, Methods, and Infrastructure for Networked Medical Research (TMF)

International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories