The Advanced Technology Consortium for Clinical Trials Quality
Assurance (ATC) is supported by a National Cancer Institute U24
grant to Washington University. It has grown out of the efforts
of Washington University and the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group,
beginning in 1994, to create a robust Quality Assurance process
to collect and review the image-based planning and verification
data for patients enrolled on the 3D Oncology Group (3DOG) prostate
dose-escalation protocol (RTOG 9406). The ATC now functions as
a “virtual entity” made up of the following clinical
trials QA Centers:
- Image-Guided Therapy QA Center (ITC - Washington Univ. in St.
Louis and UC Davis),
- Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) Headquarters Dosimetry
Group,
- Radiological Physics Center (RPC, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center),
and
- Quality Assurance Review Center (QARC).
The ATC capitalizes on the existing infrastructure and strengths
of national QA programs. Its overall mission is to facilitate
and support NCI sponsored advanced technology clinical trials,
particularly those requiring digital data submission. This effort
includes radiation therapy QA, image and radiation therapy digital
data management, and clinical research and developmental efforts.
Efforts are made to utilize each group's strengths and avoid
duplication of existing programs. We strongly believe that advanced
medical informatics can create an environment in which clinical
investigators can receive, share, and analyze volumetric, multimodality
treatment planning and verification digital data. Our ultimate
goal is to improve the standards of care in the management of
cancer by improving the quality of clinical trials medicine.
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