Your Tumor Could Hold More Answers Than You Realize
Why preserving your tumor tissue could help you explore additional testing, clinical trials, and personalized cancer treatments
You don’t want your tumor. But you may need what it holds.
When you’re diagnosed with cancer, your focus is understandably on getting rid of it.
You want to know what treatments are available, whether surgery will be successful, and what happens next.
If your cancer has returned or stopped responding to treatment, you may be asking an even more urgent question: What other options do I have?
One thing you might not have considered is what happens to your tumor after surgery.
Your tumor contains biological information unique to your cancer. Information that could potentially help your medical team understand it better, investigate additional treatments, identify clinical trials, or explore emerging personalized therapies.
But what happens to that tissue after surgery matters.
Around the world, most hospitals routinely preserve tissue for diagnosis, usually in formalin and paraffin. This works very well for diagnosis, but it doesn’t keep tumor cells alive.
Preserving your tumor in the right way, at the right time, can help keep more options open.
That’s why StoreMyTumor, which has worked with patients and cancer centers in the US and around the world since 2011, helps patients arrange specialized tumor preservation before surgery or biopsy, keeping their tissue accessible for potential diagnostic and therapeutic use.
Wondering whether preservation could be right for you? Call +1 (267) 702-5501 or schedule a free consultation. There’s no obligation.
Your tumor is more than a diagnosis
When a tumor is removed, part of it goes to a pathology laboratory to confirm the type of cancer and its characteristics. That information is essential for diagnosis and treatment planning, but your tumor can hold much more.
Even two people with the same type of cancer may have important biological differences. Their tumors may carry different genetic mutations, express different proteins, or respond differently to particular treatments.
This is the foundation of precision oncology, which uses information about the individual tumor to help guide treatment decisions.
Depending on your diagnosis, your tumor tissue may potentially support:
- Molecular and genomic profiling.
- Additional biomarker testing.
- Functional drug-response testing.
- Eligibility assessments for certain clinical trials.
- Development of some personalized cancer vaccines.
- Certain cellular immunotherapies.
- Further analysis if your cancer progresses or returns.
Some of these applications are already part of routine cancer care. Others remain experimental or are available only through specialist laboratories and clinical trials.
Not every application requires living tumor cells, but living cells can open the door to more options and opportunities. For many patients, preserving viable tissue ‘just in case’ is a small step that can keep important options open.
Understanding the possibilities before surgery allows you to make a more informed decision about what happens to your tissue.
Could your tumor help identify treatment options?
Potentially, yes.
- Molecular and genomic testing
Molecular and genomic testing looks for the genetic changes that drive a cancer. Some can be targeted by specific drugs, and testing helps oncologists decide whether an approved targeted therapy or a clinical trial might be appropriate.
In the United States, biomarker testing is already an important part of treatment planning for several cancers, including certain lung, breast, and colorectal cancers, and the National Cancer Institute recognizes it as a way to help patients and doctors select treatments.
Biomarker-guided care is also used at cancer centers across North America, Europe, and elsewhere, although available tests and coverage differ by country.
Many established molecular tests can use standard pathology tissue, while other analyses benefit from tissue preserved in a different format.
Learn more about genomic profiling on our website.
- Functional drug-response testing
What if scientists could take living cells from your tumor and investigate how they respond to different drugs?
That’s the idea behind functional drug-response testing, sometimes called drug-sensitivity testing: investigating how tumor cells respond to chemotherapy, targeted therapies, or other drugs in a laboratory, sometimes using patient-derived cells or three-dimensional models called organoids.
For patients whose cancer has stopped responding to treatment, this approach may be particularly interesting.
Functional drug-response testing is an emerging area of precision oncology. Laboratory results don’t always predict how a drug will perform in the body, and it is not yet a routinely validated method for selecting treatment across most cancers, so results should always be discussed with a qualified oncologist.
Some forms of functional testing require viable tumor cells, which means tissue must be collected and preserved in a way that maintains cell viability.
Routine pathology preservation can’t provide those living cells later. That’s why patients choose us: we cryopreserve your cells and keep them in a viable format.
Learn more about chemo sensitivity testing on our website.
- Clinical trials
Clinical trials investigate new cancer treatments, combinations of existing therapies, and emerging approaches to personalized medicine. Some recruit by cancer type or stage, others by molecular characteristics.
Depending on the trial, investigators may require:
- Archived pathology tissue.
- Fresh or frozen tumor samples.
- Viable tumor cells.
- Tissue collected during a particular surgery or biopsy.
- Specific molecular or genomic test results.
Preserved tissue doesn’t guarantee eligibility, and many trials don’t require specialist preservation, but access to an appropriately preserved sample can matter for certain studies.
Trials are run at cancer centers around the world, and registries such as ClinicalTrials.gov list studies across many countries. Your oncologist can help you identify which ones may be worth discussing, and StoreMyTumor’s patient advisors can help you understand how tissue requirements might apply.
StoreMyTumor, which has a physical presence in the US and Switzerland and experience shipping specimens worldwide, coordinates the preservation and transfer of tumor specimens, including internationally, subject to the receiving institution’s requirements.
If you’re interested in clinical trials, it’s worth discussing tissue requirements with your oncologist before surgery whenever possible.
What about personalized cancer vaccines and cellular immunotherapies?
Cancer immunotherapy aims to help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.
Some immunotherapies are established treatments and others are in clinical trials, and certain personalized approaches use material from your own tumor.
Personalized cancer vaccines
Therapeutic cancer vaccines are designed to stimulate an immune response against cancer that is already present.
Some personalized vaccines can be developed from molecular information alone, while others may need specially collected or preserved tumor material.
Personalized cancer vaccines remain experimental for many cancer types, and availability varies.
Learn more about personalized cancer vaccines on our website.
Adoptive T-cell therapies
Certain cellular immunotherapies involve collecting immune cells, preparing or expanding them in a specialized laboratory, and administering them to a patient.
One example is tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy, commonly called TIL therapy.
In February 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to a TIL therapy, lifileucel (Amtagvi), for adults with unresectable or metastatic melanoma previously treated with a PD-1 blocking antibody (and, for BRAF V600-positive tumors, a BRAF inhibitor). Approval status and availability differ from country to country.
This was an important milestone for tumor-derived cellular immunotherapy.
TIL therapy is not established for every cancer, and tissue collection and manufacturing requirements are highly specific, so independently stored tissue is not automatically suitable and the treatment center should confirm its requirements before collection or preservation.
Learn more about adoptive T-cell therapy on our website.
Why the way your tumor is stored matters
Not all stored tissue is the same: different preservation methods protect different biological properties.
Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPE)
FFPE is the standard method used by pathology laboratories worldwide. Tissue is treated with formalin and embedded in paraffin wax, which allows pathologists to examine it and run many molecular tests. It is extremely valuable and can remain useful for years, but the cells are no longer alive.
Fresh-frozen tissue
Tumor tissue can be rapidly frozen after collection, which helps preserve DNA, RNA, proteins, and other molecular components for certain types of testing. Conventional snap-freezing generally does not preserve viable cells.
Viable cryopreserved tissue
Specialized cryopreservation uses controlled methods to preserve living cells so they can potentially be recovered after thawing. It requires appropriate collection, transport, processing, and storage, and viable cells may be important for functional tests, cell-based studies, and experimental therapies.
Why StoreMyTumor preserves tissue in different formats
StoreMyTumor can preserve tissue in viable cryopreserved, frozen fixed, and paraffin (FFPE) formats, depending on what you and your care team want to keep open.
Rather than simply asking whether your hospital will store your tumor, ask:
How will my tumor be preserved, and will I be able to access it if I need it for additional testing or treatment?
Why work with StoreMyTumor?
Since 2011, StoreMyTumor has specialized in collecting, processing, and storing viable tumor for all types of cancer. In practice, that means:
- Global reach. We have a physical presence in the US and Switzerland and experience shipping specimens worldwide, so you can work with us wherever you’re treated.
- StoreMyTumor is FDA and ISO approved.
- All cancer types. We preserve tissue from surgeries and biopsies, as well as ascites fluid, regardless of cancer type or tumor size.
- A clear process. Prepaid shipping, overnight courier delivery to our laboratory, and a report to you and your oncologist within a few days on what we have stored.
- A patient advisor by your side. Every client is matched to a patient advisor who provides guidance through the preservation process and ongoing help with diagnostic and treatment research.
Ready to talk? Call +1 (267) 702-5501 or schedule a free consultation. A patient advisor can answer your questions, with no obligation.
Can other biological materials be preserved?
Yes.
Depending on the type of cancer, other biological materials may also be valuable for certain tests, for example:
Ascites: Fluid that can accumulate in the abdomen in some cancers, including ovarian cancer. It may contain tumor cells that can be collected and preserved.
Pleural fluid: Fluid that accumulates around the lungs and may contain cancer cells in certain circumstances.
StoreMyTumor preserves tumor tissue collected during surgery or biopsy, as well as ascites fluid collected by paracentesis. Other specimen types, including pleural fluid, are assessed individually, depending on the material and its intended application.
Doesn’t my hospital already store my tumor?
Your hospital will generally retain tissue required for diagnosis, such as pathology blocks and slides, but routine diagnostic storage is not the same as preserving viable tumor cells for potential use elsewhere.
Some major cancer centers have biobanking programs that can preserve fresh, frozen, or viable specimens, although access, consent arrangements, and whether patients can request tissue for external use vary between institutions and countries.
It’s worth asking your surgical and pathology teams:
- How will it be preserved?
- Will any viable tumor cells be stored?
- Can I request tissue for testing outside this hospital?
- Can suitable surplus tissue be transferred to a specialist preservation facility?
StoreMyTumor provides an additional option for patients who want to arrange private preservation. With us, you stay in control of your tissue: you or your oncologist can instruct us to send some or all of it to the laboratory or treatment center of your choice.
What happens to tissue donated to research?
Tumor tissue is extremely valuable to cancer research, and patient donations help scientists investigate cancer biology, treatment resistance, biomarkers, and potential new therapies.
But donating tissue to a research biobank and preserving tissue for your own potential clinical use are not necessarily the same thing.
Research samples may be used and distributed according to the institution’s consent and governance arrangements, so a donated sample may not remain available for your own testing or treatment.
If you’re considering donating surplus tissue, ask whether it could also be relevant to your own care and whether any suitable material could be retained for that purpose.
At StoreMyTumor, we believe your tissue should be used for your own benefit first. Preserving it now doesn’t prevent you from choosing to support research later.
How does StoreMyTumor work?
Step 1: Speak with StoreMyTumor before surgery
Contact our team to discuss your diagnosis, planned procedure, and reasons for considering preservation. We’ll explain the options, practical requirements, and costs, and match you with a patient advisor. The initial consultation is free, with no obligation to proceed.
Step 2: Coordinate collection with your medical team
Where the hospital agrees, we coordinate collection and provide a specialized kit with detailed instructions for your surgical team.
The amount of tissue available depends on the procedure, and your medical team’s clinical requirements always come first.
Step 3: Transport and preserve your tissue
On the day of surgery, your surgeon places the tissue in the kit and a courier is called for pickup, with prepaid shipping labels included. The specimen typically reaches our laboratory overnight, where we process and preserve it in the selected formats. Within a few days, we send you and your oncologist a report on what has been stored.
Step 4: Access your tissue when you need it
If you and your medical team identify a suitable test, clinical trial, or treatment, you can ask us to release some or all of your stored specimen, and we’ll coordinate transfer to the receiving laboratory or institution, including internationally, subject to applicable requirements and the receiving provider’s acceptance.
The goal is to help you retain access to your tissue when the right opportunity arises.
What if my surgery is happening soon?
Ideally, contact StoreMyTumor as soon as surgery or a biopsy is being planned, because preserving viable cells requires specific collection and handling.
Cancer surgery isn’t always scheduled weeks ahead, so many large US cancer centers keep our collection kits on hand, and we can coordinate emergency collection and transport to fit your timeline. Kits usually ship overnight, and instructions can be sent even if a kit hasn’t arrived yet.
If your procedure is approaching, call us right away at +1 (267) 702-5501, and we’ll explain what information we need and whether collection can be coordinated with your medical providers.
What if I’ve already had surgery?
You may still have options.
Start by asking your hospital what tumor material was retained and how it was preserved, since archived pathology specimens may be useful for further molecular testing, pathology review, or certain clinical trials.
If another surgery is planned, you may have an opportunity to arrange additional preservation, and StoreMyTumor can help you understand the requirements for newly collected tissue.
Tissue that has already been formalin-fixed can’t be converted back into viable cells, which is why it helps to talk to us before surgery.
Talk to StoreMyTumor
If you’re preparing for cancer surgery, facing a recurrence, or exploring additional testing and treatment options, our team is here to help.
Schedule your free consultation with StoreMyTumor.
Or call +1 (267) 702-5501 or email cs@storemytumor.com.
Medical disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. StoreMyTumor provides tissue preservation and related coordination services. Preservation does not guarantee access to any particular diagnostic test, clinical trial, or treatment, or that a stored specimen will be suitable for a particular application. Experimental approaches, and even approved treatments, may not be available in your country, and regulations and insurance coverage differ between countries. All medical decisions should be made with appropriately qualified healthcare professionals.