COTA, an oncology real-world data and analytics company, and University of Chicago Medicine have established a research collaboration agreement to investigate racial disparities of care in multiple myeloma to better understand differences in the diagnosis, treatment patterns, and outcomes of patients with this type of cancer.
Researchers at COTA and University of Chicago Medicine will use real-world data to examine potential disparities in clinical treatment pathways and outcomes.
“Black Americans are grossly underrepresented in clinical trials, and more data is needed to evaluate the best treatments for this population,” Benjamin Derman, of University of Chicago Medicine, said in a statement. “It is critical that we understand optimal treatment pathways and risk prognostication in Black populations. Leveraging COTA’s expertise in real-world data, we can evaluate reasons for racial disparities in multiple myeloma outcomes and improve the way we care for these patients moving forward.”
COTA provides comprehensive oncology real-world data abstraction, curation, and analytics capabilities to leading healthcare provider organizations and life sciences companies that are caring and developing treatments for patients living with a wide range of cancers.
Huntsman Cancer Institute establishes $31 million proton therapy center
The Senator Orrin G. Hatch Proton Therapy Center has opened at Huntsman Cancer Institute, and is the first of its kind in the Mountain West.
The $31 million, 7,450-square-foot addition adds to radiation therapy technology and expertise available within University of Utah Health.
The center was named to honor Senator Orrin G. Hatch’s commitment to improve the landscape for cancer care in Utah. Hatch was among the earliest supporters when Jon M. Huntsman Sr. announced his intent to build a major new cancer research center in Utah.
Up until now, the nearest proton therapy centers were more than 700 miles away.
The technology that delivers this treatment is housed in a three-story facility. The equipment includes a 110-ton gantry (a moveable framework that allows the equipment to rotate 190 degrees around the patient), which holds a 15-ton cyclotron. It accelerates protons to 2/3 the speed of light.
This precision technology allows the treatment to target the tumor from the best angles and avoid important structures in the body. A team of specially trained medical doctors, technologists, technicians, and others work to safely deliver this treatment to adult and pediatric patients as part of their cancer care plan. The new center also includes state-of-the-art tumor targeting, with a special combination of proton treatment delivery and CT imaging for tumor targeting.
When fully operational, the center is projected to care for approximately 200 patients a year.
