Who can donate samples

We aim to invite individuals who have one of a range of conditions that affect the pancreas, including both non-cancerous and cancerous diseases. We will also invite people without pancreatic diseases. Information and samples collected from these donors will serve as normal controls for our research projects. Your relative/spouse/partner may also be approached, with your and their permission, as information and samples they provide may give researchers clues to the genetic and environmental influence of pancreatic disease, which is poorly understood.

Inclusion Criteria

  • Participant/donor is willing and able to give informed consent for tissue to be stored for future research.
  • Male or Female, aged 18 years or above.
  • Ability to give written informed consent.
  • Participants will be patients diagnosed with or suspected of pancreatic cancer or disease.
  • 'Controls' will be either
    • related to patients (relative/spouse/partner), provided they are aged 18 years or above, or
    • those patients with benign conditions such as hernia, gallstones and others: control patients.

Exclusion Criteria


The tissue may not be collected if ANY of the following apply:
  • Refusal of consent
  • Inability of consent
  • Withdrawal of consent
  • Age below 18 years of age

Clinical Trials


We fully support patients being entered into clinical trials and this initiative will not compromise the opportunity for patients to participate in on-going trials at their institution. We do not believe that being involved in a clinical trial excludes a patient from participating in the The PCRF Tissue Bank, and indeed many clinical trials now require a tissue sample. Generally, pathologists are responsible for this: all will be engaged with the PCRF Tissue Bank and therefore will ensure equitable access to tissue.

There is a potential conflict in that companies funding a particular trial may not allow access of post-treatment samples for open research. We understand this; however, the Centres have encountered few, if any, of these trials. The trials our Centres are involved in do not preclude us from using the tissues. We would also suggest, in the fullness of time, to link up with the tissue resources that are generated through clinical trials so we could direct applications to the appropriate trial resource.