In recent years, many of the most important advancements in cancer research have been made in the field of molecular biology, which is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity through the study of DNA, RNA, proteins, and other macromolecules involved in genetic information and cell function. Because of the growing importance of molecular biology in cancer clinical trials developed and conducted by the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group, nearly all of its clinical trials involve the collection of biospecimens (samples) from the patients who are enrolled in those studies. To better deal with the movement of this higher volume of biospecimen materials, ECOG-ACRIN utilizes a web-based Sample Tracking System.

The Sample Tracking System provides the ability for research personnel to log a biospecimen (sample) into the tracking system once it has been collected from a patient and is ready for shipment to the designated laboratory, as specified. The system allows the user to view the status of the sample receipt and provides feedback from the laboratory in real time.

Access to the Sample Tracking System by research personnel requires log-in credentials for the ECOG-ACRIN Web Application Portal. Research personnel seeking log-in credentials are advised to send an email to the Membership Department at ude.dravrah.ymmijnull@pihsrebmem.ae. The system also accepts credentials for the IAM system administered by the NCI Cancer Trials Support Unit (CTSU).

Sample Tracking System User Guide

ECOG-ACRIN has developed a Sample Tracking System User Guide to provide personnel from NCTN institutions with instructions on how to use the Sample Tracking System. The user guide includes instructions for how to navigate the system to log samples and send them in a new shipment, ship samples that have already been logged in, add samples to an existing shipment, view and amend a sample, look up a sample shipment that has already been sent, send a new sample to replace a missing or unusable one, generate a blank protocol submission schedule, and update and view a patient’s current consent status.

Changes to the Sample Tracking System are likely to occur over time, and the Sample Tracking System User Guide is updated to reflect those changes. Research personnel are advised to visit this section of the website periodically to obtain the most current version of the document.

Need Help?

For assistance with the Sample Tracking System, send an email to ECOG-ACRIN’s translational science team at ude.dravrah.ymmijnull@tst.nirca-goce.