Tumor banking for health research in Brazil and Latin America: time to leave the cradle

摘要

Cancer is rapidly growing to be one of the major health burdens in Brazil and Latin America. Access to tumor samples is one of the many barriers that need to be removed in order to promote clinical and translational research aimed at developing and improving cancer prevention and treatment in this region. Although there is a growing interest in establishing tumor collections in many hospitals and institutions, success is limited by the lack of knowledge of the complexities of this activity. This article reviews the regulatory, pathology, and molecular aspects that are relevant to the establishment of tumor banks in Brazil and Latin America. It also provides an overview of key players in the region.