What

The Komen Tissue Bank is thrilled to confirm our first collection of healthy breast tissue in 2½ years!

Since you are already receiving our newsletter, we can assume you are no stranger to the KTB, our mission, and the importance of our work. However, a little information refresher never hurt anyone!

We will hold a tissue collection event on Saturday, April 23rd, at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. Our inventory is very low on samples from women of color. Please help us get the word out, particularly to Black and Brown women, about the KTB, what we do, and why we do it.

The KTB is the world's first and only healthy breast tissue bank, housed at Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSoM) and the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center (IUSCCC). Normally, we hold one collection event per year in Indianapolis and a second one in another city in the U.S. This year we will hold both events here at home.

To date, more than 5,000 women have contributed breast tissue samples to the KTB. By collecting samples from women without breast cancer, researchers may be able to determine the differences between healthy and cancerous tissue, which will lead to a better understanding of the disease.

The tissue bank is a resource within the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer Research Laboratories, which includes more than 30 physicians and scientists from IU School of Medicine who are focused on preventing, treating, and curing breast cancer. While the bank is physically located in Indiana, the tissue is made available to researchers throughout the country and the world.

What to expect during the donation process: Physicians, staff, and volunteers from the KTB, the IUSCCC, the IUSoM, and other local groups and organizations, will collect the tissue samples for this breast cancer clinical trial.

During the donation process, a tissue sample is taken from one breast with a needle and local anesthesia. The amount of tissue taken is about one gram (or about the size of three peas). To be eligible, participants must:

• Be biologically female and at least 18 years of age.
• Have the ability to understand and the willingness to sign an informed consent.
• Be willing to give from 60-90 minutes of their time to complete a questionnaire and a breast biopsy.
• Not be allergic to lidocaine.
• Not be receiving a therapeutic blood thinner (this does not include aspirin).
• Not have breast implants.

“The majority of women who have donated have some personal connection to breast cancer,” Anna Maria Storniolo, M.D., executive director of the tissue bank and a physician scientist at the IU Simon Cancer Center, said. “They donate because their mother, neighbor, or friend had breast cancer. They feel so helpless. They’re frustrated because they can’t do enough. When the opportunity comes up to donate, they jump at the chance.”