Data Dictionary: The Belgian Virtual Tumourbank

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Source: To access the source, click on "Data" and then "Variables in the Database", click here to learn more

Table 1: Source variables.

Variables	Description
Laboratory	Indicates the place where the samples are stored.
Creation date	Indicates when the data regarding the samples were registered in the BVTr database.
Update date	Indicates when the data regarding the samples was last updated
Reference ID	Internal unique identification number, used by the BCR internally and for communication with researchers.

Table 2: Patient variables.

Variables	Description
SSIN	The social security identification number is a unique patient identification number. It allows linkage with other databases
Gender
Age
Patient opposition	Indicates whether the patient opposed to the conservation and use of the residual material.

Table 3: Technical variables.

Variables	Description
Sample ID	Unique identification number of a tumour sample in the local tumourbank
Biopsy number	This number corresponds to the pathology report of the tumour sample
Sample date	Indicates the date of sample prelevation
Conservation mode	Indicates the temperature and conditions under which samples are stored in the local biobank
Conservation delay	Indicates the time elapsed between the moment of prelevation and conservation of the sample
Vital state of the patient (at time of resection)	Indicates whether a sample originates from an autopsy or not.
Available materials	indicates the types of residual materials, other than the tumour tissue, that have been collected and stored within a short period after or before the tumour prelevation
Technical remarks

Table 4: Oncological variables.

Variables	Description
Sample type	Indicates whether the sample concerns a primary tumour, a metastasis, normal tissue or another sample type
Sample localisation	Corresponds to the anatomical localisation of the sample according to the ICD-O classification
Sample localisation primary tumour in case of metastasis	If the sample type indicated is a metastasis, the localisation of the primary tumour can be indicated, if available
Laterality	For paired organs, tumours can be located on the right or on the left side of the patient's body
Morphology	Indicates the tumour cell type (according to the ICD-O classification) and the behaviour of the tumour
Degree of differentiation	Corresponds to the degree of aggressiveness of the tumour
pTNM and pTNM prefix	Staging parameters indicating the extent of the tumour after resection
Oncological remarks
Other	Variables that are being stored by a local biobank and are not part of the standardised dataset of the Belgian Virtual Tumourbank. These variables are not registered

Table 5: Variable added by the BCR.

Variable	Description
cTNM	Staging parameter indicating the extent of the tumour after clinical diagnosis