| Name of Biobank |
European Prospective Investigation of Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) |
| Year Initiated |
1992-2000 |
| Primary objective (one sentence) |
Providing a large platform for the investigation of nutritional, metabolic, behavioural, environmental and genetic factors in the aetiology of cancer, cardiovascular and other common chronic diseases. |
| Key components (please briefly address the following): |
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| Time frame |
Recruitment was from 1992-2000. Follow-up is ongoing. |
| Sample size (current and anticipated) and characteristics (age, gender) |
The study includes 519,978 participants (366,521 women and 153,457 men, mostly aged 35–70 years). Biological specimens were collected in 385,747 EPIC study participants. Enrollment is closed.
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| Recruitment area, method of recruitment/follow-up, sample representativeness |
Epic is a multicentric prospective cohort study established by collaborators based in 24 research centres in 10 European Countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
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| Types of data/specimens collected (questionnaire, physical exam) |
At baseline, food consumption has been measured using country-specific questionnaires that were designed to capture local dietary habits and to provide high compliance. Detailed data were collected on a large range of individual characteristics including physical activity, occupation, tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, reproductive history, previous and current illnesses and use of medication. Anthropometric examinations were undertaken by trained observers using standardized methods and included measurements of weight, height and waist and hip circumference. 30ml of blood was obtained and stored as plasma, serum, buffy coat and erythrocytes in 0.5ml cryo-plastic straws (CBS straws) |
| Data collection, storage, processing systems |
All samples were stored at 5 °C and protected from light from the time of collection through their transfer to local laboratories in each of the recruitment centres, where they were further processed and separated into aliquots. In all centres except those in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, blood samples were aliquotted into 28 plastic straws (heat-sealed) containing 0.5ml each (12 plasma with sodium citrate, eight serum, four erythrocytes, four buffy coat for DNA). To ensure standardization, the same materials (syringes, needles, straws, etc) were purchased centrally and distributed to the centres. The samples were then split into two halves of 14 aliquots each, one stored locally and one transported to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France, to be stored in liquid nitrogen (at -196°C) in a central repository with computerized sample tracking capabilities. Samples in Norway were collected into twenty 0.5ml plastic straws, a subset of which was shipped to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) for storage. In Sweden and Denmark, blood samples were stored into 2ml tubes and have been kept solely in local freezers at -80°C and -150°C, respectively. Over 9 million biosamples (plasma, serum, erythrocytes and leukocytes as a source of DNA) have been stored making the EPIC centres, collectively, one of the largest biorepository in the world that is available for genetic, metabolic and biochemical studies. . |
| Method of consent, reporting of results |
Participants provided informed consent at baseline. Researchers wishing to conduct specific analyses using the biological samples obtain ethical approval from IARC and then from the individual centres/countries that samples are drawn from. Results are reported through published manuscripts in peer reviewed journals. |
| Health outcomes of interest |
Cancer, chronic disease, and obesity |
| Funding Sources |
The European Commission and local centre support |
