Biostatistics/Bioinformatics Core

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The goals of the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core of the Prostate Cancer SPORE are (a) to maintain and continue to develop the clinical and tissue databases of the SPORE, (b) to provide experimental design, epidemiological and biostatistical expertise to all of the SPORE projects (c) to conduct data analysis and (d) to provide infrastructure and expertise for inter-SPORE and other scientific collaborations. The expertise of key members of this core facilitates planning, development and analysis of SPORE clinical trials, biomarker studies, molecular diagnostics and high throughput technologies such as DNA/RNA microarray, tissue microarray, proteomics experiments and retrospective studies. The SPORE Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core leverages existing resources and expertise of the Biostatistics Shared Resource and the Bioinformatics Shared Resource of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. This enables the core to offer comprehensive bioinformatics and biostatistics services at minimal cost. During the past funding period, the Core has developed a fully operational, web-based, CDE-driven (common data element) central database for the SPORE that houses the clinical, tissue and laboratory data of prostate cancer patients seen at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH), Jesse Brown (formerly Lakeside) Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VA), and Evanston Northwestern Healthcare (ENH) sites. The created database is essential to the SPORE as it provides means of obtaining timely and high quality specific information regarding patients in the SPORE. Procedures are in place whereby a standardized set of data are collected, checked, edited and entered from the various components of the SPORE. During the next funding period, the Core will expand to incorporate the University of Chicago, will increase the use of CDEs, incorporate technology and software coming from the NCI's caBIG initiative. The Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core interacts extensively with the Clinical Trials and Advocacy Core and the Specimen Procurement Core of the SPORE. Direct interaction among the cores expedites data organization, data management and data analysis, enables the fluid creation of project-based teams for SPORE projects incorporating individuals with a broad range of expertise, and maximizes the efficiency of the SPORE-supported activities.