Practical and Ethical Issues in Establishing a Collection of Normal Breast Tissue Biopsies—Part of the NOWAC Post-Genome Cohort

Abstract

For tissue-based studies of breast cancer, getting access to truly normal, well-annotated tissue can be a challenge. To address that need, we collected 368 breast tissue biopsies and buffered blood samples from healthy postmenopausal women. Volunteers were part of the Norwegian Women and Cancer (NOWAC) Postgenome cohort, recruited through the national mammography screening program. The NOWAC normal breast tissue biobank for gene expression analysis will provide a correct basis for comparison in case-control studies.