Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN
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Expanding research interests in molecular profiling over the past several years have led researchers in academia and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to significantly increase their need for access to tissue specimens collected through clinical care and clinical trials. As a result, tissue allocation has become a growing issue for many clinical and translational investigators. ⋯ At the center of the process are the patients, who have increasingly become active partners in the clinical research enterprise as individuals and through highly sophisticated patient advocacy organizations. All stakeholders must recognize that human specimens, including tissue, represent a valuable and unique resource that must have proper acquisition, handling, custodianship, and consent for use in accordance with best practices for biospecimen resources.