Rapid Autopsy Program

University Of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Overview of the Resource. Given the inherent difficulties in obtaining large quantities of tissues from pancreatic cancer patients, we have devised and instituted a rapid autopsy program that is designed to harvest primary tumor and organs containing all metastatic deposits of tumor from individuals who die of pancreatic cancer. The process we have instituted allows us to harvest and rapidly freeze these tissues in a process that is completed within 5 hours of death. This process is unique and highly innovative as a tissue resource in that it allows us to capture the entire history disease progression for pancreatic cancer patients (from intact primary tumor and remaining precursor lesions through to distant metastases at all locations). For the purposes of this application, the resource will provide high quality frozen samples, slides for frozen sections, formalin fixed tissues, and associated body fluids (blood, serum, ascites) for all projects requiring tissues. The costs of acquiring these tissues in the rapid autopsy program are supported in part by our Cancer Center Support Grant and our Pancreatic Cancer SPORE Grant. The costs requested here are supplemental to that support and are required for the requisite sample processing and pathology support that is associated with supporting the projects proposed in this application.