Privileged access to patients
Patients are at the heart of all PSCC activities. They not only guide our innovation strategy, but they are also stakeholders in the projects supported by the cluster through direct exchanges between innovative projects and the patient partners and associations of our patient assembly.
Furthermore, to develop, projects need easy access to clinical trials, biological samples and associated data. To accelerate projects, we are providing innovators with a platform that will facilitate access to these three key resources.
One of the priorities of the PSCC is to accelerate and rationalize access to theseis data, and to guarantee their standardization, structuring, quality and interoperability.
Data
Precision oncology generates huge quantities of data. The challenge is not only to organize, process, analyze and share these data, but also to standardize them. The PSCC is working with its partners to create a dedicated platform to facilitate access to patient data available in clinical centres (real-life data (RWD) and data from randomized clinical trials (RCT)).
These data are highly heterogeneous in nature (DNA sequences, expression profiles, immune parameters, images, etc.), language (for example, imaging equipment all uses the same standard -DICOM- which is not the case in biology or the world of -omics, etc.), type (preclinical studies, cohorts, registries, clinical trials, etc.) and location (multiple research and care centres, organizations, etc.). This heterogeneity stems in particular from the diversity of hospital IT systems, combined with the fact that much of the information concerning patient follow-up is unstructured by nature, as it is contained in medical reports, documents written freely by doctors. One of the PSCC's priorities is to accelerate and rationalize access to these data, and to guarantee their interoperability and quality.
To meet this challenge, the cluster is setting up:
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A federated data network: while data will remain in the establishments, multi-site studies will now be possible,
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A single-entry point for all project sponsors,
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Help for healthcare establishments to accelerate their work on quality and interoperability.
This project already brings together Gustave Roussy, Institut Curie, AP-HP and Hôpital Foch. To go even further, the PSCC is joining forces with Unicancer, the network of French cancer centres, and Cancer Core Europe, a network of seven of Europe's leading research and care institutes.
In conjunction with the Pediatric Cancer Working Group, work has been launched to take into account the specific challenges of pediatric cancers, with stakeholders such as ParisKidCancer.
Alain Livartowski, Unicancer
Biological samples
Accelerated, simplified access to carefully preserved, annotated samples and associated metadata.
Biobanks are now part of the basic kit of translational research (identification and validation of therapeutic targets, prognostic biomarkers, support for preclinical trials, etc.).
At a time of very high throughput (new-generation sequencing, microfluidics, screening platforms, etc.), the PSCC aims to bring together French oncology players to accelerate and rationalize access to large volumes of samples (cells, tissues, biological fluids and derived products) rigorously preserved and annotated, as well as to associated metadata.
Clinical trials
Gustave Roussy's clinical research division is the most renowned in France and one of the most recognized in the world. It comprises a team of highly qualified professionals, including senior clinical research physicians, project managers, pharmacists, statisticians, regulatory affairs officers, pharmacovigilance experts, data managers and clinical research associates.
Gustave Roussy's Clinical Trials platform offers PSCC project sponsors privileged access to key opinion leaders and a full range of services to support the development of a clinical trial and, where appropriate, to assume study sponsorship in accordance with the relevant institutional procedures.
Benjamin Besse, Gustave Roussy