Active Research Study · US Sites
Your Scheduled Surgery
Can Advance Cancer Research
If you are already having cancer surgery or a biopsy, tissue already being removed can be donated for organoid research — with no additional procedures, no extra visits, and no changes to your care.
IRB/EC approval required before study initiation · ICH-GCP & 21 CFR compliant
No additional surgery. No extra hospital visits.
Tissue is collected only from what your surgical team is already removing during your scheduled procedure.Why Is Tissue Donation Important to Cancer Research?
Fresh cancer tissue from real patients is the most biologically accurate material researchers can use to study how tumours grow, develop resistance, and respond to drugs. Most of this tissue — removed daily during standard surgeries across the US — is discarded. Study IPR-FCT-2025 changes that.
Conducted by iProcess Global Research, Inc., a clinical research organisation based in Irving, Texas, this prospective tissue collection study collects a small sample of tumour tissue from cancer patients already undergoing standard-of-care surgical resection or biopsy. That tissue is used to grow patient-derived organoids — miniature, three-dimensional tumour structures in the laboratory that enable drug screening and cancer biology research.
Participating takes nothing extra from you. Your surgery proceeds exactly as planned. Read on to find out if you or someone you care for may qualify.
Which Cancer Types Are Accepted?
Adults with a confirmed histopathological diagnosis of any of the nine cancer types below are eligible — at any cancer stage and with any treatment history, including prior chemotherapy or radiation.
- Liver Cancer
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Gastric (Stomach) Cancer
- Prostate Cancer
- Ovarian Cancer
- Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- HR+/HER2− Breast Cancer
- Lung Cancer NSCLC-LUSC
- Lung Cancer Small Cell (SCLC)
How Does Cancer Tissue Donation Work?
Participation is designed to require nothing extra of you. Here is a step-by-step walkthrough of what to expect.
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Contact iProcess & Confirm Eligibility
Reach out to the iProcess study team by phone or email. They will review your diagnosis and scheduled procedure to confirm you qualify, answer your questions, and connect you with the study site nearest to your care location.
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Review & Sign Informed Consent
Before your procedure, you will receive an IRB/EC-approved informed consent form to review at your own pace. Signing is your choice — participation is voluntary and you may withdraw at any time without affecting your care.
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Tissue Collected During Your Surgery
On the day of your already-scheduled surgical resection or biopsy, your surgical team sets aside a small portion of the tumour tissue already being removed. Nothing additional is done. Your procedure and recovery proceed exactly as planned.
Am I Eligible to Participate?
This study accepts participants at any cancer stage and any treatment status. Review the criteria below to see if you or your patient may qualify.
You May Be Eligible If You…
- Are 18 years of age or older at enrollment
- Have a confirmed histopathological diagnosis of one of the nine qualifying cancer types
- Are already scheduled for standard-of-care surgical resection or biopsy
- Are at any cancer stage — early, locally advanced, or metastatic
- Have any treatment history — treatment-naïve or previously treated (including chemotherapy)
- Are willing and able to sign an IRB/EC-approved informed consent form
You Are Not Eligible If You…
- Are under 18 years of age
- Are unwilling or unable to provide written informed consent
- Have a medical history of HIV, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C (unless permitted by applicable biosafety protocols)
- Cannot provide a tissue sample of at least 100 mg from your procedure
- Have a tissue sample with poor viability or significant necrosis
- Have incomplete clinical data required for the study record
What Kind of Research Is Performed on the Tissue?
Your fresh tumour tissue is used to grow patient-derived organoids — miniature, three-dimensional tumour structures cultivated in a laboratory that replicate the biological characteristics of your specific cancer. Because they are grown from real patient tissue, organoids are among the most predictive cancer models available to researchers today.
The organoids generated from study IPR-FCT-2025 samples are used for research into cancer biology and for commercial drug screening — enabling scientists to test how different compounds interact with specific tumour subtypes before any human trial begins. Nine different cancer types are included in this study to build a broad, clinically diverse library of cancer organoid models.
Fresh tissue, shipped the same day of collection in a temperature-controlled container to a central laboratory, is essential — frozen tissue cannot be used for organoid development because viable, living cells are required for the organoids to form successfully.
Understanding Disease Pathways & Mechanisms
Organoids enable researchers to study how individual tumour types develop, spread, and develop resistance to treatment — using tissue that mirrors the molecular biology of a real patient's cancer.
Development of New Therapies
Pharmaceutical scientists use patient-derived organoids to screen experimental compounds and identify which drugs show the most promise against specific cancer subtypes — accelerating the path to clinical trials.
Advancing Precision Medicine
A diverse library of organoids from real patients across cancer types and treatment histories allows scientists to develop treatments targeted to specific tumour profiles — including rare and hard-to-treat cancers.
Conducted with Rigorous Ethical Oversight
iProcess Global Research, Inc. conducts this study in full compliance with US federal regulations, ICH Good Clinical Practice guidelines, and the Declaration of Helsinki.
IRB/EC Approval Required
This study will not commence until written approval is received from an Institutional Review Board or Ethics Committee in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations.
Written Informed Consent
Every participant must review and sign an IRB-approved consent form before any study-related activity. Participation is voluntary and may be withdrawn at any time without impact to your care.
De-Identified Data Only
All samples and data are labelled with a unique participant identifier — never your name. Information is stored in a secure, access-controlled database accessible only to designated study personnel.
Federal Regulatory Compliance
Conducted in compliance with 21 CFR Parts 11, 50, 54, 56 & 812; ICH-GCP Guidelines (Federal Register, May 9, 1997); and the Declaration of Helsinki.
Conducted by iProcess Global Research
iProcess Global Research, Inc. is a clinical research organisation (CRO) based in Irving, Texas, specialising in specimen collection and clinical research management.
Possible Stipend Compensation
Participants may receive a stipend for their time and to offset travel costs. The amount is determined by the IRB/EC and disclosed in the consent form before you agree to participate.
Your Questions Answered
Have a question not covered here? Contact the iProcess study team directly — contact information is below.
Do I need additional surgery or procedures to participate?
No. Tissue is collected only from what is already being removed during your scheduled cancer surgery or biopsy. You will not undergo any additional procedures, incisions, anaesthesia, or hospital visits specifically for this study. Your scheduled surgery and recovery proceed exactly as planned by your care team.
Who is eligible for the IPR-FCT-2025 tissue collection study?
Adults aged 18 and older with a confirmed histopathological diagnosis of one of nine qualifying cancer types — Liver, Pancreatic, Gastric, Prostate, Ovarian, Triple-Negative Breast, HR+/HER2− Breast, NSCLC-LUSC Lung, or SCLC Lung cancer — who are already scheduled for standard-of-care surgical resection or biopsy. Any cancer stage and any treatment history is accepted.
Can I participate if I have already had chemotherapy, radiation, or other treatment?
Yes. This study accepts participants regardless of prior treatment history. Whether you are treatment-naïve or have previously received chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or other treatments, you may still be eligible — provided you are currently scheduled for a qualifying surgical procedure.
Will participating in this study affect my cancer treatment or recovery?
No. This study does not alter your treatment plan, the conduct of your surgery, or your recovery in any way. Tissue is collected from what your surgical team is already removing as part of your standard care. No adverse events are expected from participation in this sample collection study.
What kind of research is performed on the donated tissue?
Your fresh tissue sample is used to develop patient-derived organoids — miniature, three-dimensional tumour structures grown in a laboratory that replicate the biology of your specific cancer. These organoids are used for research into cancer disease mechanisms and for commercial drug screening, helping researchers identify which drugs may be most effective against specific cancer subtypes.
Individual research results are not returned to participants. Participation does not provide a personal health diagnosis or treatment benefit.
Is my personal information kept private?
Yes. Upon enrollment you are assigned a unique participant identifier that replaces your name and all direct personal identifiers on all tissue samples and data collection forms. Your information is stored in a secure, access-controlled database accessible only to designated study personnel, in compliance with applicable federal and state privacy regulations including HIPAA.
Is compensation available for participating?
Participants may receive a stipend as compensation for their time and to help offset any travel expenses related to study participation. The exact stipend amount and payment schedule are determined by the IRB/EC prior to study initiation in accordance with local regulations, and the full details are disclosed in the informed consent form before you agree to participate. Compensation amounts may vary by study site.
What are organoids and why do researchers need fresh cancer tissue?
Organoids are miniature, three-dimensional tumour structures grown in a laboratory from real patient tissue. They replicate the biological and genetic characteristics of a patient's specific cancer far more accurately than traditional two-dimensional cell lines, making them invaluable models for studying disease behaviour and screening potential treatments.
Fresh (not frozen) tissue is required because viable, living tumour cells are essential for organoid formation. Once tissue is frozen, the cell viability needed for organoid development is lost. This is why tissue must be collected during an active procedure and shipped to the laboratory within hours of collection.
Can I participate if I have a history of HIV, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C?
Participants with a medical history of HIV, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C are generally excluded from this study due to biosafety protocols associated with handling infectious tissue samples. However, exceptions may be permitted in certain circumstances depending on applicable biosafety protocols at the collection site. Contact the iProcess study team to discuss your specific situation.
Make Your Surgery Count for Future Patients
If you have a qualifying cancer diagnosis and an upcoming surgical resection or biopsy, contact the iProcess study team today to confirm your eligibility. Enrollment is open now at US sites.