The Chicago Thoracic Oncology Database Consortium: A Multisite Database Initiative.
OBJECTIVE
An increasing amount of clinical data is available to biomedical researchers, but specifically designed database and informatics infrastructures are needed to handle this data effectively. Multiple research groups should be able to pool and share this data in an efficient manner. The Chicago Thoracic Oncology Database Consortium (CTODC) was created to standardize data collection and facilitate the pooling and sharing of data at institutions throughout Chicago and across the world. We assessed the CTODC by conducting a proof of principle investigation on lung cancer patients who took erlotinib. This study does not look into epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, but rather it discusses the development and utilization of the database involved.


METHODS
We have implemented the Thoracic Oncology Program Database Project (TOPDP) Microsoft Access, the Thoracic Oncology Research Program (TORP) Velos, and the TORP REDCap databases for translational research efforts. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) were created to document the construction and proper utilization of these databases. These SOPs have been made available freely to other institutions that have implemented their own databases patterned on these SOPs.


RESULTS
A cohort of 373 lung cancer patients who took erlotinib was identified. The EGFR mutation statuses of patients were analyzed. Out of the 70 patients that were tested, 55 had mutations while 15 did not. In terms of overall survival and duration of treatment, the cohort demonstrated that EGFR-mutated patients had a longer duration of erlotinib treatment and longer overall survival compared to their EGFR wild-type counterparts who received erlotinib.


CONCLUSIONS
The investigation successfully yielded data from all institutions of the CTODC. While the investigation identified challenges, such as the difficulty of data transfer and potential duplication of patient data, these issues can be resolved with greater cross-communication between institutions of the consortium.


CONCLUSIONS
The investigation described herein demonstrates the successful data collection from multiple institutions in the context of a collaborative effort. The data presented here can be utilized as the basis for further collaborative efforts and/or development of larger and more streamlined databases within the consortium.
Section of Hematology/Oncology, The University of Chicago Medicine.
Brian
B
Won
The Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
George B
GB
Carey
Section of Hematology/Oncology, The University of Chicago Medicine.
Yi-Hung Carol
YH
Tan
Section of Hematology/Oncology, NorthShore University HealthSystem.
Ujala
U
Bokhary
Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University.
Michelle
M
Itkonen
MrktServ, LLC.
Kyle
K
Szeto
Oncology-Hematology, Ingalls Health System.
James
J
Wallace
Section of Hematology/Oncology, NorthShore University Health System.
Nicholas
N
Campbell
Section of Hematology/Oncology, NorthShore University HealthSystem.
Thomas
T
Hensing
Pathology and Dermatology, The University of Chicago Medicine.
Ravi
R
Salgia
bioinformatics; database; lung cancer