Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI) clinician–scientist Prof Andrew Scott played a key role in the development of a new global agreement that will improve the standardisation of medical imaging data from clinical trials.
This imaging standardisation agreement will make it easier for researchers to collaborate globally and for discoveries to translate into clinical care by allowing direct comparison of imaging data collected across different sites, on different systems, for a range of isotopes.
It will also reduce the need for repeated testing, minimise downtime on scanners, improve cost efficiency, reduce radiation exposure to staff, and speed up clinical trial processes.
Currently, PET/CT and PET/MR system accreditation methods vary widely across research organisations across the world.
Three world-leading nuclear medicine organisations, the SNMMI Clinical Trials Network (SNMMI-CTN), the Australasian Radiopharmaceutical Trials Network (ARTnet), and the European Association of Nuclear Medicine Forschungs GmbH (EARL), jointly endorsed this new accreditation framework
Prof Andrew Scott, who was instrumental in coordinating with the global organisations, collaborated with Prof Roslyn Francis (Scientific Chair of ARTnet) and Prof Dale Bailey (University of Sydney).
Prof Andrew Scott is the National Imaging Facility (NIF) Node Director at the ONJCRI and La Trobe University, and leads the NIF Human Molecular Imaging Translational Network. Prof Scott is also Head of the Tumour Targeting Laboratory and Director of the ACRF Centre for Precision Medicine at ONJCRI.
ONJCRI sponsors several clinical trials that involve cutting-edge medical imaging techniques, including the START-HN trial led by Prof Andrew Scott.
Congratulations to all who were involved in developing this important agreement, which will significantly advance translational cancer research on a global scale!