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Overview

Ovarian cancer is the fifth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the western world. In one of every four women diagnosed, the cancer is resistant to standard first-line chemotherapy. In 2009, through a TFRI Translational Research project, leading ovarian cancer researchers and clinicians from across Canada joined forces to develop a biomarker-driven research program.

An essential part of the program is to link together several collections of cancerous tissues and biobanks through a central platform. This platform is the Canadian Ovarian Experimental Unified Resource (COEUR) and will serve as a comprehensive biological and data resource for the entire biomarker program and the wider research community.

COEUR has been created to promote access, ensure quality, and provide standardization of biological material and data resources for biomarker research in ovarian cancer.

The central research platform is based on a retrospective collection of human epithelial ovarian cancer biological material.

Tissue samples include: high grade serous carcinoma; endometrioid carcinoma; clear cell carcinoma; mucinous carcinoma. The research platform also includes collections of other biological material, such as frozen tissues, blood DNA, serum, plasma, ascites fluids, FFPE samples and TMA, with associated clinical data.

Recent Publications

Request Specimens

To access the repository, researchers should complete an application form, including a study description. Study projects must meet management and study committee scientific criteria and applicants will need to provide a REB approval. COEUR is set up on the principle that biospecimens will be openly shared, so applicants must be willing to deposit results and data in the COEUR repository at the end of the study.

To submit your completed application, or for more information, please contact biobanquerrcancer.chum@ssss.gouv.qc.ca.

The information on these webpages and more details about the COEUR project can be found in the COEUR pamphlet.

For a faster decision response, please consider the annual deadline dates: 
March 31st , July 31st and November 30th

Sample Repository

The following tables list the numbers of different samples available.

Sample Type HGSC LGSC EC MC CCC
FFPE 1125 94 237 87 214
FT 1070 102 296 102 225
Serum 195 14 37 18 48
Plasma 288 31 75 33 73
Ascites 215 20 50 13 49
ADN 634 65 171 55 142

 

Matched types HGSC LGSC EC MC CCC
FFPE + DNA 550 54 151 52 135
FFPE + FT 996 60 172 80 205
FFPE + Serum 176 12 24 15 42

 

TMA type HGSC LGSC EC MC CCC
TMA (cases per set of) 1090 87 224 62 201
Test TMA 195

Scientific Summary

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/docs/default-source/default-document-library/tfri_portfolio_2013_web.pdf

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COEUR Objectives

COEUR was formed through a consortium of leading Canadian investigators in ovarian cancer biomarker research. The specific aims of the program are:

  1. Develop a pan-Canadian discovery and validation platform for biomarker research
  2. Use the biomarker platform to:
    • develop a molecular-pathology classification system for ovarian cancer integrated into clinical nomograms (decision making algorithms) for rational clinical management.
    • validate biomarkers that can be used in the stratification of ovarian cancer patients that result in an improved clinical management.
  3. Articulate this correlative pre-clinical initiative with prospective clinical trials in order to expedite the translation of research findings to clinical practice.

Contact Details 

Project co-directors:

Dr Mes-Masson, CRCHUM, Montreal: anne-marie.mes-masson@umontreal.ca
Dr Provencher, HND-CHUM, Montreal: diane.provencher.chum@ssss.gouv.qc.ca     
Dr Huntsman, BCCA, Vancouver: dhuntsma@bccancer.bc.ca    

Participating Biobanks

  • #*Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montreal (CHUM).
  • *Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Sherbrooke (CHUS). 
  • *Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Quebec (CHUQ).
  • *McGill. 
  • ACRB. 
  • OvCare. 
  • Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI). 
  • Ontario Tumor biobank (OTB).
  • University Health Network (UHN) Biobank.
  • UHN PBS.
  • University of Manitoba.
  • Tumour Tissue Repository (TTR).

# Co-ordinating centre
* Participants in the Réseau de recherche sur le cancer, Fonds de la recherche du Quebec-Santé.

 

Collaborating partners

  • Canadian Tumour Repository Network
  • Gynecologic Oncology Group
  • Ovarian Cancer Canada
  • NCIC Clinical Trials Group
  • Réseau de recherche sur le cancer (RRCancer)

 

Access the COEUR repository

To access the repository, researchers should complete an application form, including a study description. Study projects must meet management and study committee scientific criteria and applicants will need to provide a REB approval. COEUR is set up on the principle that biospecimens will be openly shared, so applicants must be willing to deposit results and data in the COEUR repository at the end of the study.

To submit your completed application, or for more information, please contact biobanquerrcancer.chum@ssss.gouv.qc.ca.

COEUR application form