Biomarker imaging environment for cancer
General purpose of the MR-PET
The purpose with the MR- PET equipment is primarily for clinicalcancer treatment research. It should be used for treatment planning ( as a basis for target definition , planning and verification in connection with the treatment planning process). In addition, researchers with other clinical issues may be given the opportunity to use the equipment if space is available.
The research environment
The project aims at use of multiple molecular imaging methods along with other tumour markers in order to plan and monitor cancer treatments.
The environment is built around a PET / MR facility for molecular imaging integrated into a clinical treatment process. Data collection focuses on quantitative localised biomarkers with PET and MRI supplemented with blood and tissue data. Clinical data are collected from clinical trials, initially in glioma, prostate and squamous cell carcinoma in different organs.
Academic disciplines
* Oncology / Radiation therapy, Other clinical disciplines involved in cancer treatment, * Radiology / Nuclear Medicine and * Medical Physics, Biomedical engineering, Mathematical statistics, Chemometrics.
Oncology / Radiotherapy.
Primarily be responsible for the organization and participation in clinical trials, implementation of treatment strategies and help with specialist expertise in the research. The goal is to create a strategy for future individualised adaptive radiation therapy based on biological information.
Radiology / Nuclear Medicine.
The experts of visual image analysis and have the knowledge of biology in relation to imaging as well as aid to the research in training computerised methods for analysis of the parametric images. The goal is to use the information content to find parameters useful for detailed evaluation of the treatment response.
Medical Radiation Physics / Biomedical Engineering, etc.
Will work with either quantitative parametric PET/MR-imaging or analysis of multi-parametric image. The goal is to develop intelligent PET/MR- acquisition methods for data collection and feature extraction methods from multi-parametric images.
Organisation
The MR-PET is a donation from the Cancerforskningsfonden i Norrland. The equipment is owned and operated by the County Council of Västerbotten. The organization is therefore composed of representatives of health care, research and donor.
Steering committee
The steering committee consists of the chairman of the Cancer Research Fund (chairman ), the county councildirector , the dean of the medical faculty and the project leader.
Executive committee
The executive committee consists of the heads of department for oncology, radiology and hospital physic and the division head. Furthermore representatives from from the university and the project leader. The committee is tasked to serve in operational organisational issues concerning communication, systems and staffing.
Prioritization committee
The committee consists of the project leader (chairman), scientific representatives from oncology, medical physics, radiology and pathology The committee assesses research projects and prioritize their access to the MR- PET with respect to the projects' scientific value, patient benefits and with respect to available resources. The group is composed of scientific representatives and may co-opt other skills or interests.
Research group
The research group is an informal group of communication between researchers with an interest in or operation . The chief responsible for research projects or those applying for the prioritization of projects participating. Others are welcome to participate in discussions and to bring their knowledge and keep themselves informed about the activities . At least once a year, each project report on each project and its development.
Application for access to the MR-PET rtesource
How to do?
A project description should be submitted to the prioritization committee ( through the chair). This shall include the following :
Background
What is new compared with previous studies
Clinical relevance •
Specific motives for an MR- PET study
Power calculation
Work plan
How the evaluation is planned
In addition to this description the committee intends to request an oral presentation of the project for joint discussion. The application should be made via a link from the department’s of Radiation Sciences website.