The Tumor Bank Ovarian Cancer (TOC) project was started primary in September 2000 in the Charité, Campus Virchow-Clinic, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Our primary goal was to increase the quality of basic translational research. Tumor tissue, ascites, serum and blood were collected from each patient with ovarian cancer after given their informed consent. In order to obtain a better and a more objective description of the tumor spread in the body and to know more precisely the histopathological features of the malignancy, we developed a surgical and histopathological documentation system, also called IMO (Intraoperative Mapping of Ovarian Cancer).

In January 19th, 2004, the international TOC network was founded. The scientific board is build up from scientists from Aachen, Berlin, Bayreuth, Cologne, Freiburg, Greifswald, Heidelberg as also from abroad Austria, Moldavia and Romania. During the two years of activity TOC developed rapidly becoming the largest tumor bank for ovarian cancer in Europe, whose mission is to provide scientifical research in the field of ovarian cancer, achieving on this way a better communication between the clinicians and the researchers. About eight University hospitals and research centers, from Germany and abroad, are involved in our international project. Each university hospital uses the same SOP's and online documentation tool, in order to collect blood, ascites and tissue (schock-frozen and paraffin blocks) from ovary and metastasis.