Table 2.

Guidelines for sample collection ensuring diagnostic and translational research efficiency.

	Processing	Purpose
Standard of care at: diagnosis, primary tumor resection, metastasectomy, recurrence
Minimum essential 3–5 core biopsies using 8-, 11-, or 14-gauge needles; or larger cores divided into two or three pieces; or 1-cm3 open biopsy cut into multiple 0.2-cm3 pieces	FFPE	Diagnostic
	At least one core or tumor piece snap-frozen in liquid N2 or immediately stored in −80°C	Diagnostic and research
Optimal 5–7 core biopsies using 8-, 11-, or 14-gauge needles; or larger cores divided into pieces; or 2-cm3 (or 2 × 1 cm3) open biopsy cut into multiple 0.2-cm3 pieces plus normal tissue comparator	Material to be snap-frozen or fresh material used in ongoing research projects to develop PDXs, tumor organoids, primary cultures, etc.	Research
Optimal whole blooda in EDTA or other normal tissue for germline sequencingb	PBMCs, plasma, and serum	Research
Samples for specific research studies and/or biobanking c
Live cells in a culture-compatible medium/organ transplant preservation solution	Tumor cells	Research
Whole blooda in EDTA or PAXgene tubes	Circulating tumor cells	Research
Whole blooda in EDTA or cell-free Streck tubes	ctDNA, plasma, serum, and PBMCs	Research
1–5 mL other biofluids	Saliva and urine	Research
Samples at death/autopsy
Oligometastases samples	Snap-frozen in liquid N2 or immediately stored in −80°C	Research

^aProcedures and volumes for children and adults in accordance with the WHO guidelines on drawing blood: best practices in phlebotomy.

^bGermline sequencing is not currently international standard of care, but many European countries have ongoing standard-of-care next-generation sequencing studies that include germline sequencing.

^cBlood samples may be taken serially during and after treatment in which specific research projects are available.