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UMC Utrecht

The University Medical Center Utrecht is affiliated with the Utrecht University. Care, research and education are the three mainstays of UMC Utrecht

University Medical Centre Utrecht

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The Team

  • Prof. Dr. Helena Verkooijen
  • Prof. Dr. Chrit Moonen 
  • Dr. Wilbert Bartels 
  • Dr. Clemens Bos
  • Dr. Nicolien Kasperts 
  • Dr. Evert-Jan Vonken 
  • Dr. Joost Verhoeve
  • Drs. Manon Braat
  • Cyril Ferrer MSc
  • Drs. Marcia Bartels
  • Simone Warren 

The Coordinating center

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 Zwolle

Innovation, education and applied scientific research play an important role in the strategic policy of Isala.

ISALA Zwolle

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The Team

  • Martijn Boomsma
  • Harry Naber
  • Erwin de Boer
  • Miranda van ‘t Veer – ten Kate
  • Rolf van den Hoed
  • Erik Phernambucq
  • Ingrid Nijholt
  • Jorik Slotman

ISALA Zwolle

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.

UHC Cologne

With approximately 1400 beds and 10.000 employees, the University Hospital of Cologne (UHC) is one of the largest academic hospitals in Germany.

UHC Cologne

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The Team

  • Prof. Dr. med. Stephanie Stock
  • Dr. rer. pol. Dirk Müller
  • Dipl.-Kfm. Dusan Simic
  • Julia Simoes Correa Galendi MD, PhD candidate

Cost-effectiveness analysis and mapping of socio-economic factors

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.

Centro SANA srl is a medical-scientific poli-ambulatory aiming to provide the highest and latest medical technology applied to the diagnosis and treatment.

CENTRO SA.NA.

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The Team

  • Salvatore Napoli
  • Alessandro Napoli
  • Emanuela Panella
  • Pandarolo Nunziante
  • Bianchi Luca
  • Simone Napoli
  • Maura Sciotti
  • Maria Viola

CENTRO SA.NA. Servizi Sanitari Privati Srl (CSSP)

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.

Università di Bologna

The Alma Mater Studiorum, paves the way for innovation through an increasingly rich programe catalogue, cutting-edge research and a constant and increaslingly broad international perspective.

Università di Bologna

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The Team

  • Prof. Alessio G. Morganti
  • Silvia Cammelli PhD
  • Carla Conti
  • Milly Buwenge MSc
  • Giambattista Siepe MD 

ALMA MATER STUDIORUM UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA

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.

ICR RMH

The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) together with The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust (RMH) comprises the largest Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Europe.

ICR

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Intitute of Cancer Research

The Institute of Cancer Research, London UK undertakes world-class research designed to improve outcomes for people with cancer. The Institute is committed to designing new treatments to treat tumours more effectively while reducing side-effects. The Institute of Cancer Research works in close partnership with The Royal Marsden Hospital to take the results of its research rapidly into the clinic, with the aim of developing better treatments for cancer patients. In this regard, the use of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound is seen as a potential new treatment for palliating painful bone metastases. The HIFU team at the ICR led by Prof G ter Haar, ably assisted by Dr Ian Rivens have an established international record.

Royal Marsden Hospital

The Royal Marsden Hospital has a well-established pain team and are specialists in managing cancer pain. Dr. Matthew Brown is an expert in managing pain holistically. He has pioneered a pathway which combines the use of therapies (such as radiation therapy and HIFU) with complex psychosocial and behavioural therapies. This is potentially additive to the randomised trial proposed in FURTHER where we aim to investigate the pain outcomes in patients treated with radiation therapy or HIFU without or with pathway support. Prof N deSouza is an interventional MR radiologist with expertise in delivering HIFU under MR guidance in the clinic. She is assisted by radiographer Ms Erica Scurr for performing these treatments.

HORIZON 2020

This programme has recieved funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 825859

Tweets by Project_FURTHER

Latest publication

Download our lastest article on MR HIFU here. 

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