At the University Medical Center Utrecht, the FURTHER trial is run by a team of researchers and clinicians from the Division of Imaging and Oncology. The Division of Imaging and Oncology of the UMC Utrecht comprises all research activities of the departments of Radiology and Radiotherapy. The division is a worldwide collaborating centre, involved in international research projects on translational medical imaging and image analysis for personalized image-guided diagnosis and therapy. 

The center is involved in multiple international studies with the aim to create solid evidence to help the clinical community better decide on the future of tomorrow’s clinical practice. It is with that aim in mind that the UMCU team is the coordinator responsible for the FURTHER project, and is investing all efforts to ensure the successful completion of the FURTHER project and trial.

Isala is a large hospital organization in the Netherlands, with five locations: Zwolle, Meppel, Heerde, Steenwijk en Kampen. Besides basic care, Isala offers top clinical care in several areas, among which are radiotherapy and oncology. In order to keep the level of care as high as possible, innovation, education and applied scientific research play an important role in the strategic policy of Isala.

The Institute of Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology of the University of Cologne analyses the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of MR-HIFU as a palliative treatment option to relief bone pain caused by metastases in comparison to radiotherapy. The task to conduct the economic evaluation in the context of the FURTHER trial is a complex one, considering the heterogeneity and variability of costs in the participant countries. The IGKE has substantial expertise regarding cost- and cost-effectiveness evaluation of medical innovations and health care programs. In addition, the IGKE conducts methodological research regarding the analysis of routine data in the German health care setting and routinely uses large datasets of claims data of sickness funds for economic analysis.  The team of the IGKE consists of statisticians, health economists and medical doctors who work together to conduct the economic analyses.

Centro SA. NA. is an ambulatory care centre aiming to provide the highest and latest medical technology applied to the diagnosis combined with high professionalism. Progress in medicine is closely linked to technological advancement and than by virtue of this, more than 30 years ago, Centro SA.NA. was born to offer citizens an health service that is at the same time efficient, modern and affordable. The Centre provides primary and secondary patient care such as oncologic screening (bloodworks, high resolution, low-dose CT scan, MRI scan including breast and multiparametric prostate study as well as second level medical visit and management). 

The Centre is linked to a tertiary University Hospital (Sapienza University) which allows patients to easily access to facilities and to be included in a research protocol.

The reasons why we participate in this project is the high degree of experience of our professionals in this specific clinical domain, the added value that we can give lies in the strong vocation to research, above all of a clinical type, with an interest in offering innovative and less invasive solutions for patients, as demonstrated by the continuous updating of both medical education and equipment. In addition to this, our professionals have over ten-year experience in focused ultrasound therapy guided by the magnetic resonance, experience that we can offer to this fascinating trial.

The radiotherapy department of the academic polyclinic of the Bologna University joined the FURTHER trial because of its interest in clinical research in the field of pain palliation. 

We plan to contribute to the success of the project considering this strong interest and the high frequency of bone metastasis treatments in our hospital.