The mission of the Manitoba Tumour Bank (MTB) is ""to improve cancer diagnosis, management and treatment through enhanced translation of cancer research."" The Manitoba Tumour Bank has been in operation since 1993 and represents one of the oldest tumour banks in the country.

The MTB is an international resource with over 6000 cases (primarily breast cancers and chronic lymphocytic leukemias, but also has early collections of some other leukemias, lung cancers, head and neck cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer and multiple myeloma) and has supported hundreds of research studies of which approximately 60% have been based at the University of Manitoba, 25% elsewhere in Canada, and 15% in the USA and Europe.

The MTB receives consent from up to 1000 donors per year to accrue biological samples and associated clinical information from health care centers in Manitoba. The Bank operates with the support of the University of Manitoba, Department of Pathology, Diagnostic Services Manitoba, and CancerCare Manitoba.

The operating costs of the MTB are principally supported by CancerCare Manitoba Foundation in partnership with the University of Manitoba and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and collection of a nominal fee for service. The Bank has also received critical support from the National Cancer Institute of Canada, the Guardian Angels, the Jean Carter group, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and Nygård International Ltd.