The Florida Pancreas Collaborative Next-Generation Biobank: Infrastructure to Reduce Disparities and Improve Survival for a Diverse Cohort of Patients with Pancreatic Cancer

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths and is projected to become the second leading cause by 2030. Striking racial disparities in pancreatic cancer incidence and mortality rates exist nationally and in Florida, with higher rates among African Americans compared to other racial groups. Biological reasons for these disparities remain unexplained, primarily because most pancreatic cancer research has relied on biospecimens and data from Non-Hispanic Whites. Multidisciplinary teams from fifteen hospitals throughout the state of Florida have partnered together and with patients newly-diagnosed with pancreatic cancer to build the first state-wide biobanking infrastructure we know of that is dedicated to reducing the disproportionate burden of pancreatic cancer affecting African Americans. We describe important information on ascertainment and recruitment strategies and standard operating procedures developed to collect, process, store, and transfer biospecimens, medical images, and data from a diverse cohort of participants. The infrastructure described in this manuscript is intended to serve as a strong foundation for further research into biological, behavioral, socioeconomic, and environmental factors that may contribute to observed disparities and a starting point to develop interventions to tackle these factors. This multi-institutional infrastructure can serve as a prototype for the development of similar resources across the country and disease sites. ABSTRACT: Background: Well-annotated, high-quality biorepositories provide a valuable platform to support translational research. However, most biorepositories have poor representation of minority groups, limiting the ability to address health disparities. Methods: We describe the establishment of the Florida Pancreas Collaborative (FPC), the first state-wide prospective cohort study and biorepository designed to address the higher burden of pancreatic cancer (PaCa) in African Americans (AA) compared to Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) and Hispanic/Latinx (H/L). We provide an overview of stakeholders; study eligibility and design; recruitment strategies; standard operating procedures to collect, process, store, and transfer biospecimens, medical images, and data; our cloud-based data management platform; and progress regarding recruitment and biobanking. Results: The FPC consists of multidisciplinary teams from fifteen Florida medical institutions. From March 2019 through August 2020, 350 patients were assessed for eligibility, 323 met inclusion/exclusion criteria, and 305 (94%) enrolled, including 228 NHW, 30 AA, and 47 H/L, with 94%, 100%, and 94% participation rates, respectively. A high percentage of participants have donated blood (87%), pancreatic tumor tissue (41%), computed tomography scans (76%), and questionnaires (62%). Conclusions: This biorepository addresses a critical gap in PaCa research and has potential to advance translational studies intended to minimize disparities and reduce PaCa-related morbidity and mortality.