Table 5Example of IARC minimum data set for a study or collection in a biobank

 AttributeStandard
1Study details 
1.1Study IDMIABIS 2.0
1.2Study nameMIABIS 2.0
1.3Description/objectiveMIABIS 2.0
1.4Responsible unit 
1.5Responsible/principal investigatorMIABIS 2.0
1.6Sample manager 
1.7Study designMIABIS 2.0
1.8Cancer typeWHO name or ICD-O code
1.9Other chronic diseaseBRISQ
2Collaborators details 
2.1Contact person (collaborators)
     – First name
     – Last name
     – Telephone number
     – Email
     – Contact institution
     – Contact department
     – Contact address
     – Contact country
MIABIS 2.0
3Collection details 
3.1Collection start date 
3.2Collection end date 
3.3Collection centres
     – Centre name
     – Centre country
 
4Ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) 
4.1Ethical approval
     – Date
     – Reference
 
4.2Informed consent 
4.3Participant information sheet 
4.4Material Transfer Agreement
     – Date
     – Reference
 
4.5Other contract
     – Date
     – Reference
 
5Donor/patient-related data 
5.1Sample ID 
5.2Parent sample ID (for aliquots and derivatives) 
5.3Informed consent
     – YES/NO/NI (implying waiver)
     – Type of consent
     – Area of research
     – Re-contact
     – Return of results
     – Access to medical data
     – Possibility to publish data
     – Access to genetic data
 
5.4Sex 
5.5Age at collection 
5.6Country and region of origin 
5.7Basic diagnostic parameters (e.g. for cancer: individual TNM codes where possible; if not, then stage and always grade – for all, the version should be indicated) 
5.8Associated diagnostic parameters (CA125, CA19-9, etc.) 
5.9Other diseases 
5.10Disease status 
6Biospecimen-related data 
6.1Biospecimen type 
6.2Anatomical site: organ of origin or site of blood draw 
6.3Collection mechanism: how the biospecimens were obtained 
6.4Type of stabilization: the initial process by which the biospecimens were stabilized during collection 
6.5Biospecimen size 
6.6Delay to preservation:
     – Time between biospecimen collection and processing
     – Time between biospecimen processing and cryopreservation
     – Warm ischaemia time for tissue: period between circulatory arrest and beginning of cold storage
SPREC
6.7Temperature before preservation:
     – Storage temperature before processing
     – Storage temperature before cryopreservation
 
6.8Type of long-term preservation: the process by which the biospecimens were sustained after collectionSPREC
6.9Constitution of preservative: the make-up of any formulation used to maintain the biospecimens in a non-reactive state 
6.10Storage temperature for short-term storage: the temperature, or temperature range, at which the biospecimens were kept until distribution or analysis 
6.11Storage temperature for long-term storageSPREC
6.12Freeze–thaw cycles: this field is for low-temperature storage and should account for the number of times the sample underwent a freeze–thaw cycle for processing; it should also account for any anomalies to the container containing the samples 
7Categories of associated data collected 
7.1Medical history data (e.g. history of other diseases, medications, family history of same cancer to first and second degree, family history of other cancers, family history of other diseases):
     – Available or not?
     – Which kind of data?
     – Where are data kept?
     – Who manages data?
 
7.2Epidemiological and survey data (e.g. age, sex, exposure, anthropometric data, reproductive history, physical activity, tobacco status, alcohol consumption, occupational history, socioeconomic status, previous illness):
     – Available or not?
     – Which kind of data?
     – Where are data kept?
     – Who manages data?
 
7.3Clinical data (e.g. clinical diagnosis, clinical presentation, comorbidities, biochemical data, immunophenotypic data, neoadjuvant therapy, disease status of patients, vital state of patients, clinical diagnosis, pathology diagnosis):
     – Available or not?
     – Which kind of data?
     – Where are data kept?
     – Who manages data?
 
7.4Pathology data (e.g. pathology diagnosis, histological type, TNM, stage, grade, nuclear component, immunohistochemistry):
     – Available or not?
     – Which kind of data?
     – Where are data kept?
     – Who manages data?
 
7.5Follow-up data (e.g. bioassays, treatment, disease progression, relapse, status – disease-free, alive with disease, dead from disease, dead from other causes):
     – Available or not?
     – Which kind of data?
     – Where are data kept?
     – Who manages data?
 
8Shipment data saved for each sample 
8.1Date of deposition 
8.2Number of biospecimens shipped 
8.3Shipment conditions 
8.4Carrier 
8.5Date of next shipment 
8.6Number of biospecimens to be shipped 
8.7Expected carrier 

BRISQ, Biospecimen Reporting for Improved Study Quality (Moore et al., 2011); ICD-O, International Classification of Diseases for Oncology; MIABIS 2.0, Minimum Information about Biobank Data Sharing 2.0 (Brochhausen et al., 2013); SPREC, Sample PREanalytical Code (Lehmann et al., 2012); TNM, tumour–node–metastasis classification of malignant tumours; WHO, World Health Organization.

From: SECTION 3., Recommendations for biobanks

Cover of Common Minimum Technical Standards and Protocols for Biobanks Dedicated to Cancer Research
Common Minimum Technical Standards and Protocols for Biobanks Dedicated to Cancer Research.
IARC Technical Report, No. 44.
Mendy M, Caboux E, Lawlor RT, et al.
© International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2017. For more information contact publications@iarc.fr.

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