title: The American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) and its clinical trials in breast imaging.
abstract: This paper describes the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN), a new National Cancer Institute cooperative group, formed to perform multicenter clinical trials in diagnostic imaging and imaging-guided therapeutic technologies. The administrative structure of the organization and the mechanism by which trials are considered and approved for support are detailed. The advantages of this funding mechanism over previous NCI efforts are discussed. Detailed descriptions of the breast imaging protocols that ACRIN will open in the near future are provided. The quality of radiology as an academic discipline is likely to improve due to the infrastructure and training provided by this new organization.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina, School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7510, USA.
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Pisano