About VIVO Biobank

VIVO Biobank is the UK's leading resource dedicated to storing samples and data of cancers affecting  children and young people.

VIVO Biobank is a national collection of samples from children and young people with cancer. It is funded by CRUK and Blood Cancer UK. The samples can be used by UK and international scientists in research projects to find new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent cancer.

How does it work?

All children and young people with a diagnosis of cancer can bank samples with VIVO Biobank if they want to. Your doctor or nurse will talk to you about VIVO Biobank and ask if you want to give samples to be stored in VIVO Biobank for use in research. These samples will be taken at the same time as those taken to make a diagnosis or to help guide treatment, or can be leftover tissue after tests.  We don't need much - around a teaspoon of blood or bone marrow, just a few drops of spinal fluid or a small piece of tumour.

You will be given time to think about whether you want to give your samples and to ask questions.  Your decision will not affect treatment in any way.

How can researchers use VIVO Biobank samples?

First of all, research teams need to find funding and ethical approval for the project they want to carry out.  Once they have these, they can apply to VIVO Biobank to ask for samples.

Next, a panel of experts (called the Sample and Data Access Committee) review each application to check that it is good research and also check that we have all the samples the researchers need.

Once project is approved, VIVO Biobank will contact the researchers and arrange to sent the samples to the research team.