The Imaging Response Assessment Team (IRAT) is a shared resource providing image-based tumor metrics for cancer research, as one of a national consortium of cancer center IRATs. The IRAT serves as a key component of investigator-initiated, cooperative group and industry-sponsored clinical trials at Moffitt, providing quantitative size-based measurements of tumor response. Year-to-year increases in the volume of service have generated the need for a cost center to support and institutionalize the Moffitt IRAT. The present proposal seeks to expand the capabilities and scope of this IRAT to support the infrastructure necessary for investigator-initiated studies at Moffitt.
The specific aims for the current effort are to support the IRAT infrastructure, which is used to: 1) Maintain the current quality of reported quantitative data and rapid response time;2) Expand the quantitative nature of reporting through more detailed image analysis;3) Coordinate acquisition and analysis of radiological images in support of clinical trials;4) Consult in clinical trials protocol submission;5) Review clinical trials in Scientific Review Committee;6) Provide pilot data for grant submissions;7) Assist in development of non-traditional imaging endpoints for response assessment, including participation in ACRIN and COG trials;and 8) Educate and reach out to Moffitt oncologists and investigators to increase awareness of new horizons in cancer imaging. These achievements are critical to accommodate the increasing complexity and importance of imaging biomarkers in response assessment, as the limitations and inadequacies of conventional metrics are recognized. An expansion of IRAT personnel is an immediate need to realize these goals. In 2009, 169 clinical trials with a primary imaging endpoint to assess tumor response were active, with the majority originating from the Experimental Therapeutics program, followed by Immunology. Of these, 71 were investigator-initiated, non-Industrial Moffitt or cooperative trials, and 94 had new patient accrual in 2009. These clinical trials spanned the breadth of Oncology Groups at Moffitt. The Core requests CCSG support of $153,973 which is 39% of its operational budget.
The IRAT adds value to the CC mission by streamlining the process of integrating imaging into trials and providing QA/QC throughout the process, especially for trials not initiated by radiologists. Developing an infrastructure for the IRAT has permitted the pursuit of other funded trial opportunities that use advanced and/or investigational imaging techniques, analysis, and novel biomarkers.
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