How do you help your patients with relapsed/refractory/terminal osteosarcoma who want to donate their tumor for research?

In these cases, one should identify:

A) Whether the patient is enrolled on COG study APEC14B1 Project: EveryChild (eligibility up to age 25),

B) Whether they are interested in donating tissue that is already banked or to be banked,

C) Whether the patient is planning on having an autopsy performed after they pass away.

1. If not already enrolled on APEC14B1 and under 25yo, enroll and consent for optional banking. Depending on timing, there’s also an option to consent parents for post-mortem participation. There are specific incentives through the COG to donate via the QuadW Incentive Program, particularly for frozen relapsed osteosarcoma samples, but also frozen primary tumor tissue, FFPE blocks, and FFPE unstained slides.
2. If the local pathology department is willing to collect and overnight ship samples, they can additionally be sent to the laboratory of Dr. Ryan Roberts, who would discuss with the patient/family and complete consent by phone. If the patient is close to expiration, it is highly encouraged to have access to a rapid autopsy program. Contact Ryan.Roberts@nationwidechildrens.org 
3. Finally, the patient could enroll in Count Me In (https://osproject.org/) which can collect any banked tissue (whether already banked or collected during autopsy) for genomic profiling. Family members can also enroll patients after they have passed but it is easier to get the tissue if the patient enrolls themselves.