Abstract

This study appeared in full in the last issue of Research Ethics Review (2010; 6 (2): 67). Dr Arber, a cancer biologist in Chesterpool oncology services and working at Chesterpool University wishes to study prevalence and nature of somatic mutations in selected genes associated with breast cancer. She proposes to use, without specific consent, tumour and normal tissues from 100 positive breast biopsies already collected in the clinical service and analyse selected genes that are suspected to be altered in breast cancer. A year later she submits an amendment to allow whole genome sequencing of the tumour DNA and for comparison, blood DNA.