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What is the CHTN?

The Cancer Diagnosis Program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) initiated the Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN) in 1987 to provide increased access to human tissue for basic and applied scientists from academia and industry to accelerate the advancement of discoveries in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The CHTN is comprised of five adult divisions and one pediatric division. Each of the adult divisions coordinates investigator applications/requests based upon the investigator's geographic location within North America. The Pediatric Division manages all investigators who request pediatric specimens only. The CHTN divisions share coordination for requests from outside North America.

The CHTN divisions work both independently with individual investigators and together as a seamless unit to fulfill requests that are difficult to serve by any single division. The CHTN's unique informatics system allows each division to effectively communicate and network the needs of its investigators to all CHTN divisions. The Network as a whole can then help fulfill an investigator's request.