American College of Radiology Imaging Network

描述(由申请人提供)：美国放射成像学会(ACRIN)是一个合作组织，致力于进行与癌症相关的诊断成像和图像引导治疗技术的临床试验。ACRIN的首要目标是开发有助于癌症早期诊断的信息，减轻那些没有患癌症的人的担忧，并改善癌症患者的生命长度和质量。在最初的资助期间，ACRIN发展了它的基础设施，发展了合作，并启动了18项临床试验。在拟议的资助期内，ACRIN打算进行试验，解决四个关键假设： 与常规解剖成像或观察临床病程相比，PET、MRI以及其他功能和代谢成像技术可以更早地预测患者对治疗的反应。 二、影像引导介入技术可以局部控制肿瘤的发病率，并有可能降低死亡率。 三、使用成像技术进行癌症筛查可以降低发病率和死亡率。 四、代谢和生理过程的分子成像可以改进癌症的诊断和治疗。 在这样做的过程中，ACRIN将对可以改善癌症护理的新兴技术和可能被不当使用的现有技术进行试验。ACRIN的试验将集中在影响最多个人、产生最大发病率和死亡率以及给社会带来最大经济成本的癌症。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) is a cooperative group dedicated to conducting clinical trials of diagnostic imaging and image-guided therapeutic technologies as they relate to cancer. The overriding goal of ACRIN is to develop information that results in the earlier diagnosis of cancer, allays the concerns of those who do not have cancer, and improves the length and quality of lives of cancer patients. During its initial funding period, ACRIN developed its infrastructure, developed collaborations, and initiated 18 clinical trials. For the proposed funding period, ACRIN intends to conduct trials that address four key hypotheses: i. PET, MRI, and perhaps other functional and metabolic imaging technologies can predict patient response to treatment earlier than conventional anatomic imaging or observing clinical course. ii. Image-guided interventional techniques can locally control the morbidity of cancer and perhaps reduce the mortality. iii. Screening for cancer using imaging technologies can reduce morbidity and mortality. iv. Molecular imaging of metabolic and physiologic processes can improve cancer diagnosis and treatment. In doing so, ACRIN will perform trials of both emerging technologies that could improve cancer care and established technologies where there is the possibility that the technology is being employed inappropriately. ACRIN trials will focus on the cancers which affect the greatest number of individuals, that produce the greatest morbidity and mortality, and that impose the largest financial costs to society.