Prospective Procurement of Tumor Tissue to Identify Novel Therapeutic Targets and Study the Tumor Microenvironment

Background:

• Recent advances and insights into the molecular pathogenesis of cancer have led to the development of novel molecular and biologic targeted therapies for the treatment of advanced cancer participants. A critical challenge in extending these studies involves the identification and validation of new therapeutic targets for future cancer therapies.
• The development of immuno-oncology therapeutics across a wide spectrum of malignancies has emphasized a need to understand the intratumoral immunologic landscape of metastatic cancer. The techniques of cultivating and examining tumor infiltrating lymphocytes developed in the Surgery Branch can be expanded and refined by the exploration of solid tumors.
• The Surgery Branch, NCI has an interest in identifying novel molecular and biologic targets to facilitate the development of future cancer therapies for solid and hematologic malignancies. Through close collaborations with the Surgical Oncology Program and Thoracic Surgery Branch, our internal staff surgeons, and our medical oncology staff clinicians, we are uniquely positioned to acquire and perform important studies on solid tumor tissue and bone marrow to help identify therapeutic targets that may have significant clinical ramifications.

Objective:

To collect biologic samples from participants undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic interventions for known or suspected cancer for the purpose of identifying novel molecular and biologic therapeutic targets and studying the intratumoral immune landscape.

Eligibility:

Participants >=18 years of age with suspected or confirmed malignancies planning diagnostic or therapeutic intervention from which biologic samples may be obtained.

Design:

• A tissue acquisition trial in which tissues will be obtained at the time of intervention.
• Tissue and blood will be processed at the time of collection, stored and then transferred to the Surgery Branch Cell Production Facility for further processing.
• No investigational therapy will be given.
• It is anticipated that 1200 participants will be enrolled.

• INCLUSION CRITERIA:
• Age >= 18 years
• Willing to undergo serologic testing for HIV, hepatitis B and C
• Participants who have a known or suspected cancer that requires surgery or biopsy as a part of the standard of care diagnosis, treatment and/or follow up.

Note: Participants will not be enrolled exclusively for the procurement of tissue samples.

-Able and willing to sign an informed consent document.