The Ontario Tumour Bank is a province-wide biorepository and data bank focused on collection of tumour-related human biospecimens. It provides academic and industry cancer researchers with a diverse selection of high quality tumour-related specimens and data obtained directly by dedicated tumour bank staff, who follow a stringent set of procedures and ethical guidelines.

The biospecimens and clinical data are an important resource for scientists engaged in translational research who are developing better diagnostic tools and new drug therapies. Researchers depend on the Ontario Tumour Bank to provide research biospecimens of high quality, diversity, and integrity.

Operating at state-of-the-art hospitals and cancer centres across Ontario, the Ontario Tumour Bank coordinates the collection, storage, analysis, annotation, and distribution of tumour and peripheral blood samples. Working in collaboration with local pathologists, medical oncologists, surgeons and other hospital personnel, specially trained staff obtain patient consent, collect tissues and assemble comprehensive clinical information about each donor and the corresponding samples.

The Ontario Tumour Bank is a program of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR). Funded by the Government of Ontario, OICR is a not-for-profit corporation that supports research on the prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and control of cancer.

OTB fact sheet