Colorectal Cancer Collection - Colorectal cancer sample collection

Since 2010, the Molecular Disease Mechanisms Group at the University of Luxembourg has established an ongoing collection of 160 high quality tumor tissue samples from colorectal cancer patients.

The project at a glance

Start date:

01 Oct 2022
Duration in months:

60
Funding:

Fondation Cancer Luxembourg / University of Luxembourg
Principal Investigator(s):

Elisabeth Letellier

Serge Haan

About

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common and lethal malignancies in Western countries. It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Europe and the second most common cause of cancer death. Estimates indicate that around 1.2 million European citizens currently are living with a diagnosis of CRC (Globocan). In Luxemburg, CRC has an incidence generally exceeding 500 cases per year (Publication Registre National Cancer 2013). The high incidence and mortality rates emphasize the need for prevention and early diagnosis. Biomedical research and precision medicine heavily rely on biospecimens to identify new therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Researchers need access to high-quality samples and consistent clinical and pathological information. In this context, the Molecular Disease Mechanisms Group at the University of Luxembourg has established an ongoing collection of tumor tissue samples from CRC patients, assembling over 160 high quality patient samples. This collection, initiated in 2010, has been achieved through the involvement of oncologists and surgeons from different hospitals in Luxembourg, nurses from the Clinical and Epidemiological Investigation Center (CIEC) at LIH, pathologists from the LNS as well as collection managers at the IBBL and researchers at the University of Luxembourg. This collection, which contains several sample types, such as serum, stool and tumor tissue and normal counterparts from the same patients, is available to all researchers and allows them to perform translational research. The will at the University of Luxembourg is to integrate this collection as a national CRC cohort in the PLAN CANCER. This collection would perfectly be suited to represent a research cohort available for researchers in Luxembourg and abroad.

Take part in colorectal cancer (CRC) research

Did you know that CRC patients can help cancer research by authorizing sample collection?

The main reason to participate is to help researchers better understand the disease and find better treatments . Participants should not expect an immediate benefit from the study; however, your participation is extremely important because you will provide key information to advance research on colorectal cancer which in the long run will benefit CRC patients. Participation is, of course, voluntary and it mostly consists in collecting a sample of the tumor tissues excised as a part of the standard clinical procedure.

Importantly, all these samples can be shared within the research community in Luxembourg and abroad and feed additional colorectal cancer studies and fruitful collaborations. The collection has currently 180 patients enrolled and almost 4000 samples collected. As we collect the tumor cells as well as the different cells of the tumor microenvironment, we can generate “mini tumors” in the lab (also called organoids) which nicely recapitulate the original tumor and which foster personalized medicine.

If you are interested to help, please ask your doctor about the sample collection project.