Dundee named as site of new multi million pound breast cancer Tissue Bank

Breast Cancer Campaign today revealed the University of Dundee/NHS Tayside is one of the key locations of the world\'s first national breast cancer tissue bank.

This ground breaking initiative will see four centres around the UK working together as one national resource, to house the multi-million pound Breast Cancer Campaign Tissue Bank. Philip Quinlan, Dr Lee Jordan and Dr Colin Purdie, along with a dedicated team, will head up the Breast Cancer Campaign core facility at the established Tayside Tissue Banking facility in the University of Dundee/NHS Tayside, with other sites named as the University of Nottingham, University of Leeds and The Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London.

This coalition of centres will store breast tissue samples, donated by patients throughout the country, safely and consistently and will be available to scientists whatever their location in the UK and Ireland. Currently there is no such large resource of breast tissues like this available to scientists and doctors anywhere in the world.

Historically, access to suitable materials for research has been completely dependent on a scientists\' location and contacts, says Breast Cancer Campaign. The result is a major barrier to translating research into potential new treatments and, in the long term, saving lives.

From tissue samples researchers will be able to glean vital, but anonymous, information about the patient, the characteristics of their cancer, family history, treatments, and over time, their effectiveness, and whether the disease progresses or recurs.

Professor Alastair Thompson, Chair of the Tissue Bank Management Board and Professor of Surgical Oncology, University of Dundee said, "The importance of the Breast Cancer Campaign Tissue Bank to both scientists and people with breast cancer cannot be underestimated. We really appreciate the support of the women and men of Tayside and NE Fife who have long been supporters of tissue banking. This revolutionary, national approach to tissue banking will ensure that research is fast tracked from laboratory advances into clinical practice. In the coming years we will see the benefits for people with breast cancer, as research using tissues from the Bank will lead to better prevention, earlier diagnosis and improved treatments which have the potential to save the lives of many thousands of people."

The Tissue Bank, expected to cost £10 million over the next five years, has received a massive boost to its funding. Asda\'s Tickled Pink has raised over £1 million in 2010 through its colleagues and customers, as part of its ongoing commitment to this vital initiative. In addition, a grant of £1 million from breast cancer charity Walk the Walk has recently been awarded to the Tissue Bank as part of its long-term support of breast cancer causes.

Judith McKenna, Asda Chief Financial Officer said, "The launch of this pioneering Tissue Bank is only possible because of the continued support we receive for Asda\'s Tickled Pink campaign from customers and colleagues. We would like to thank everyone for their hard work and dedication over the past 15 years. We hope this will play a significant role in helping the thousands of people who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year."

Nina Barough, Founder and Chief Executive of Walk the Walk said, "Our goal is to fund vital breast cancer research where we know it will make a huge difference to the lives of people with breast cancer. The Breast Cancer Campaign Tissue Bank undoubtedly fulfils this criterion and we are hugely excited to be awarding a grant to this groundbreaking project."

Visit www.breastcancertissuebank.org.

Notes to editors

Breast Cancer Campaign

£10 million funding will cover the costs of all the Core and Collaborating Centres, including laboratories, IT systems, tissue storage, nurse/patient liaison, tissue dissemination by research technicians and use of tissue in Breast Cancer Campaign funded research.
Breast Cancer Campaign aims to beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure,
The charity currently funds 99 projects worth over £17.3 million in 37 locations across the UK and Ireland
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and accounts for nearly one in three of all cancers in women
In the UK, nearly 46,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year - that\'s 125 a day
Visit breastcancercampaign.org or follow us at twitter.com/bccampaign
ASDA\'s Tickled Pink

This year Asda celebrates its 15th year of Tickled Pink since the campaign started back in 1996 to raise money to help improve the lives of people with breast cancer both now and in the future
Asda\'s Tickled Pink Campaign supports Breast Cancer Campaign and Breast Cancer Care. Breast Cancer Care provides expert information and professional support for people with breast cancer and their families; and Breast Cancer Campaign helps fund research into fighting the disease.
Walk the Walk

Nina Barough, Founder and Chief Executive set up and now runs the grant making, health charity Walk the Walk
Walk the Walk aims to work within just 18% of money raised, making 82% of total fundraising available for grants
Walk the Walk organises The MoonWalk London and The MoonWalk Edinburgh
Entries are open for The MoonWalk Edinburgh which is on 11th June 2011
For more information on Walk the Walk visit www.walkthewalk.org
Media contact: Claire Learner, Media Relations Officer, Breast Cancer Campaign, 020 7749 3705, [email protected] M: 07736 313698

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