HeCOG Cancer Biobank and Registry: a nationwide real-world resource for translational oncology research.

@article{fountzilas2026hecog,
  title = {{HeCOG Cancer Biobank and Registry: a nationwide real-world resource for translational oncology research.}},
  author = {E Fountzilas and K Papadopoulou and G-A Koliou and T Papapavlou and D Pectasides and C Christodoulou and E Samantas and D Bafaloukos and G Aravantinos and P A Kosmidis and H P Kalofonos and J Sgouros and P Papakostas and E Razis and T Economopoulos and N Zamboglou and A Koutras and G Pentheroudakis and F Zagouri and H Linardou and A Christopoulou and D Papamichael and P Skarlos and A Batistatou and A Goussia and H P Kourea and S Pervana and O Tzaida and K Petraki and K Pavlakis and P Arapantoni-Dadioti and T Koletsa and V Kotoula and N Pavlidis and H Gogas and A Psyrri and G Fountzilas},
  journal = {ESMO real world data and digital oncology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1016/j.esmorw.2026.100788},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42903694},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - HeCOG Cancer Biobank and Registry: a nationwide real-world resource for translational oncology research.
AU  - E Fountzilas
AU  - K Papadopoulou
AU  - G-A Koliou
AU  - T Papapavlou
AU  - D Pectasides
AU  - C Christodoulou
AU  - E Samantas
AU  - D Bafaloukos
AU  - G Aravantinos
AU  - P A Kosmidis
AU  - H P Kalofonos
AU  - J Sgouros
AU  - P Papakostas
AU  - E Razis
AU  - T Economopoulos
AU  - N Zamboglou
AU  - A Koutras
AU  - G Pentheroudakis
AU  - F Zagouri
AU  - H Linardou
AU  - A Christopoulou
AU  - D Papamichael
AU  - P Skarlos
AU  - A Batistatou
AU  - A Goussia
AU  - H P Kourea
AU  - S Pervana
AU  - O Tzaida
AU  - K Petraki
AU  - K Pavlakis
AU  - P Arapantoni-Dadioti
AU  - T Koletsa
AU  - V Kotoula
AU  - N Pavlidis
AU  - H Gogas
AU  - A Psyrri
AU  - G Fountzilas
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/12
JO  - ESMO real world data and digital oncology
DO  - 10.1016/j.esmorw.2026.100788
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42903694
AB  - Background  Long-standing cooperative oncology groups are uniquely positioned to generate high-quality real-world data in diverse tumor types. The Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group (HeCOG), a nonprofit scientific organization, has established a multi-institutional clinical database and biobank to support translational cancer research and precision oncology initiatives. Our aim was to describe the structure, governance and operation of HeCOG Biobank and patient registry.Materials and methods  The HeCOG clinical database is a centralized, web-based platform that supports interventional, observational, real-world and translational studies across affiliated institutions. Clinical data are linked to biospecimens stored in the HeCOG Biobank, preserved at the Laboratory of Molecular Oncology. Biospecimen collection, processing, storage, and data handling are governed by standardized operating procedures.Results  To date, the registry includes >54 000 patients with diverse tumors, enrolled retrospectively and prospectively. The associated biobank comprises >17 000 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue samples and >6000 blood-derived specimens. The largest tissue collections are from breast, colorectal, and lung cancer. Molecular and histopathological biomarker data are also available for several thousand patients within the registry. Biospecimens are uniquely coded and linked to pseudonymized longitudinal clinical, histopathological, and molecular data. Ongoing expansion includes digital pathology and radiological imaging datasets, further enhancing the translational potential of the resource.Conclusions  The HeCOG Biobank and the accompanying clinical database have evolved into a valuable resource for translational cancer research in Greece. Through the ongoing integration of digital pathology, imaging data, and artificial intelligence-based approaches it provides a strong basis for precision oncology and collaborative national and international research.
SN  - 2949-8201
ER  -