Trust and Support for Cancer Research Biobanks: Insights from Cancer Patients in Poland

Abstract

Background Biobanks are legally regulated entities that acquire, store, prepare, preserve, test, analyze, and distribute defined biological material and related information and data from human sources. This study aimed to evaluate trust, support and willingness to donate personal data and tissue samples for biobanking from cancer patients attending oncology departments in Poznań, Poland. Material/Methods This study utilized data from questionnaire-based survey conducted from February to June 2023 among 548 patients from 2 Poznań hospitals equipped with oncology treatment units. The survey employed convenience sampling. Statistical analysis was carried out using JASP 0.18.3 and PQStat1.8.6., with significance levels set at 0.05. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were utilized to present the results. Results 92.2% of cancer patients supported the establishment of cancer research biobank in Poland, and 93.1% declared the willingness to share their cancer tissues for research purposes. Patients’ willingness to donate was associated with biomedical research conducted by biobanks and types of biobank institutions. Most patients were willing to donate for research on cancer, genetic and autoimmune diseases or dementia, but were reluctant to participate in research on sexual identity, intelligence, aggression and for-profit research. Patients were willing to donate to biobanks managed by medical universities, public institutions, clinical hospitals and national biobanks but not to foreign and private biobanks. Conclusions Although patients’ support for cancer biobank is high it is not unconditional as their willingness to participate in cancer-related research is associated with types of biomedical research conducted by biobanks and different types of biobank institutions.