Welcome to Update 3 from the Biological Studies Committee.

UKCCSG tumour bank payments

As you know the intention is to move to prospective up front payment for tumour banking from July. Letters are being sent out to centres this week and payments will start as soon as Sue Ablett has received your response. We really hope that this initiative puts the tumour bank in a more robust and realistic position, but again we rely on the effort of each centre to continue this vital work. The tumour bank is the ’Engine’ of Biological studies without which “we ain’t going nowhere!!!”

Biological Studies Group Membership

We are pleased to welcome representatives of the Childhood Leukaemia Working Party onto the Biological Studies Group. They are Professor Irene Roberts, Dr Pamela Kearns and Dr Christine Harrison.

We are still looking for one more scientist to make up our complement of four.

UKCCSG Scientific Meeting

We now have a number of suggestions for speakers for this meeting and, once speakers have been confirmed, the draft programme can be prepared. Please note that the abstract form and information is available from the UKCCSG Data Centre and can also be found on the UKCCSG website.

UKCCSG Website

The UKCCSG website has now been redesigned and the Biological Studies is located in the Health Professionals section but can also be accessed via the members section. Please note the new address for the website is ukccsg.org.uk.

Tissue Registration Update

There are now 1421 specimens registered with appropriate consent in place (either archival or with a copy of the consent form in the Data Centre). We have ethical approval for the use of archived studies from 12 Centres. Could those Centres that have not yet got approval please pursue this? Please contact Richard Grundy if you need more information or wish to discuss.

Diary Dates

Wednesday, 14^th July 2004
a.m. – Biological Studies Committee Meeting
p.m. – Division of Therapeutics Meeting
Both of the above meetings to be held at CR UK, Albany House, London

Thursday 2^nd – Friday 3^rd December 2004 - UKCCSG Scientific Meeting
To be held at the Royal Marsden Education & Conference Centre, Fulham Road, London

NEXT EDITION ...

Newsletter Issue 10	Submission deadline 20 August	Published 1 September 2004
Update Issue 4	Submission deadline 22 October	Published 1 November 2004
Update Issue 5	Submission deadline 10 December	Published 17 December 2004
Newsletter Issue 11	Submission deadline 18 February	Published 1 March 2005

If you have any items that you would like to include in the next Newsletter, please send them to Sue Thornton by 20^th August (st22@le.ac.uk).

Chair Biological Studies Committee

Dr Richard Grundy
Birmingham Children’s Hospital
Tel: 0121 333 8243
Fax: 0121 333 8241
e-mail: richard.grundy@nottingham.ac.uk