Frequently Asked Questions

Unlike a physical biorepository, which collects and stores tissue for future use in cancer research, a VTR uses honest brokers to fulfill requests for de-identified, linked tissue, whole slide images, pathology reports, and/or clinical data for secondary use in research and other projects.

The SEER-Linked VTR Program accepted requests for formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue obtained through clinical care for secondary use in research and other projects. While tissue blocks are not released to investigators, tissue, processed as de-identified unstained or stained slides, ribbons, or scrolls, is released to investigators. Other types of data resources could be requested include de-identified pathology reports, clinical and demographic data, and/or whole slide images (WSIs).

The timeline for receiving biospecimens depends on a number of factors related to the nature of the request, including whether the requested tissue needs to be representative of the U.S. population; the number of cases with tissue being requested; and/or the request is for rare cancer(s), cancer cases with rare outcomes, and/or of underrepresented populations. If specimens were requested on >200 cancer cases, then the project will need to be conducted over multiple years.

Investigators were provided a cost estimate based on what services the request entails, target sample size, number of laboratories being contacted, etc. Please see the Cost Structure, Fees, and Payments page for further information.

Like the SEER-Linked VTR Program, CHTN is a network of honest brokers, supported by NCI, that processes de-identified, but linked, tissue and data for researchers and other investigators. Unlike CHTN, the honest brokers at the SEER-Linked VTR Program are SEER cancer registries that use the public health infrastructure to request formalin-fixed (FFPE) tissue obtained through clinical care (e.g., biopsies and surgeries). The SEER-Linked VTR Program does not collect tissue in real time and does not offer access to fresh-frozen tissue. Because the SEER-Linked VTR Program uses the cancer registries for access to data and tissue, it allows investigators to obtain de-identified tissue and data from cases that are representative of the underlying population. As such, the program allows investigators to conduct studies of cancer cases from small populations and other unique groups of cancer cases.

Include an acknowledgement: Tissue specimens, digital whole slide images, and/or data were provided by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Linked Virtual Tissue Repository (VTR) Program, SCR_028494, an NIH/NCI funded resource. Other investigators may have received VTR research resources from the same cancer cases.

Biospecimens used in this study were accessed through the SEER-Linked Virtual Tissue Repository (RRID: SCR_028494)