A New Paradigm for Integrating Translational Research into Comprehensive Breast Care: The Walter Reed Army Medical Center/Windber Research Institute Experience

The Clinical Breast Care Project (CBCP) was established by direction of the U.S. Congress in January 2000. Human biospecimen collection (breast organ site) is a seminal pillar of the CBCP. To date, more than 33,000 total specimens have been collected and stored under a cooperative congressionally sponsored agreement with the Windber Research Institute in Windber, Pennsylvania. The National Cancer Institute sponsored a workshop in June 2008 entitled Economic Considerations for Implementing the NCI Best Practices for Biospecimen Resources. The authors were asked to present details from the CBCP experience on the cost of setting up and operating a high-level biorepository. These costs were meticulously gathered with input from our clinical, tissue banking, and medical bioinformatics teams. Set-up and operational costs were then computed for each facet of the operation to calculate the total expense of establishing this biorepository. Development and operating costs for other institutions will vary, but the chronology and costs presented here can serve as a guideline for other organizations, clinicians, and scientists interested in establishing a biorepository for translational research.