Tumour banks in pediatric oncology.

Introduction: The information offered by the new genomic and proteomic techniques will play a central role in our knowledge of cancer; but it is limited by the lack of available tissue samples. Cancer in children is a sum of infrequent diseases, so tumor banks are support tools for translational research, providing access to a sufficiently large series of samples, which would minimize the asymmetric effect of the diverse origin.
Material and Methods: From 2003 a Molecular Pathology Network in Pediatric Solid Tumors Netwoks exists in Spain, and we are a part of it. Our aim was to create a pediatric tumor bank program and consensus documents about its use.
Results: Standard Operating Procedures for collection and transport of samples have been created.
Conclusions: Thinking about the fast progress in Molecular Biology and the low frequency in pediatric tumors, it is vital to consider the importance of a bio bank.