Biospecimen Banking, Standardization, and Lessons Learned from the Cancer and Leukemia Group B Pathology Coordinating Office

Biospecimen procurement, processing, banking, and distribution is an essential component of the cancer research infrastructure and provides an invaluable resource when specimens are associated with clinical information from patients treated on randomized clinical trials. The Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) is one of several NCI-sponsored cooperative oncology clinical trials research groups in the United States conducting biospecimen research to correlate with clinical endpoints. In addition to the contribution of specimens from research subjects and the support of pathologists across the nation, the effective coordination of biospecimens for use in clinical cancer research is a formidable and evolving process. In this paper, we describe some of the salient features of the CALGB Pathology Coordinating Office (CALGB-PCO), addressing policies, procedures, and new technologies to support high-quality biospecimen research.