Hope for Others: Research Results from the University of Pittsburgh Rapid Autopsy Program for Breast Cancer.

ABSTRACT: Breast cancer affects 1/8 of women throughout their lifetimes, with over 90% of cancer deaths being caused by metastasis. However, metastasis poses unique challenges to research, as complex changes in the microenvironment in different metastatic sites and difficulty obtaining tissue for study hinder the ability to examine in depth the changes that occur during metastasis. Rapid autopsy programs thus fill a unique need in advancing metastasis research. Here, we describe our protocol and processes for establishing and improving the US-based Hope for OTHERS (Our Tissue Helping Enhance Research and Science) program for organ donation in metastatic breast cancer. As of August 2024, we consented 114 patients and performed 37 autopsies, from which we collected 551 unique metastatic frozen tumor s

SUBMITTER: Chih-Chieh Chang A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11580927 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature