2005-01-18
The Wales Cancer Trials Network has chosen MACRO
InferMed today announced that the Wales Cancer Trials Network (WCTN) will be using the MACRO electronic data collection (EDC) solution for its programme of breast cancer trials over the coming year. The MACRO software will be used for data collection on a number of breast cancer trials that the WCTN run regionally for centres in Wales and also on a new National Cancer Research Network (NCRN) approved trial comparing intravenous and oral bisphosphonates called ZICE.
Bisphosphonates are usually given alongside other cancer treatments. They have been shown to be effective in people with myeloma (a cancer of the plasma cells of the blood) and people who have secondary bone cancer. Secondary bone cancer occurs when the original cancer (the ‘primary’) spreads to form a secondary cancer (metastasis) in the bone. Bisphosphonates are often used to treat people with advanced breast cancer, as it can often spread to the bones.
Speaking of the WCTN decision to use MACRO for their programme of trials and in recognition of MACRO’s increasing popularity, Lucy Branston, WCTN Manager, said, “We chose MACRO because it is fast becoming the ‘industry standard’ for trialists in the public sector.”
InferMed’s Marketing Manager, Mark Snell, commented, “We welcome WCTN to the growing not-for-profit MACRO user community. We are committed to providing the benefits of robust industrial strength EDC to this sector and now have well-established strong links with it. We will continue to develop these links going forward and to add new users to the community in the process.”
Since MACRO’s introduction in 1999, information from more than 75,000 patients from hundreds of sites in over 35 countries have been collected in Phase I, II, III, IV trials and epidemiological surveys.
About Wales Cancer Trials Network
The Wales Cancer Trials Network (WCTN) (www.wctn.org.uk) was established in recognition of the fact the NHS cancer teams in Wales need support to take part in research to improve treatments for cancer. The WCTN was set up in April 1998 as a jointly funded collaboration between the Cancer Research Campaign (now Cancer Research UK) and the Welsh Assembly Government.
The Network aims to support prospective trials of cancer treatments and other well-designed studies endorsed by government research councils, academic research groups and cancer charities. The WCTN aims to make research into improving treatments a more routine and acceptable part of high quality NHS care and to develop a research culture in the new cancer service in Wales. The hope is that investment, support and networking will improve the speed, quality and integration of cancer research and ultimately deliver benefits to patients more quickly.
