This site provides archived and recent news items relating to projects conducted by INCTR. This includes all INCTR Branches or project site locations. The project sites are located in Belgium, Brazil, France, UK, India, USA. Additional project locations (i.e., coordinating sites) include East Africa, Andra Pradesh, and Sao Paolo. Most of the information you will need about INCTR is available via its primary website located at www.inctr.org. Additional information, including data derived from ongoing or competed projects can be found on various "wiki" sites, particularly on the Faculty member's site and the members site.
We have found that in general, health professionals, particularly those who live and work in low and middle income countries (LMIC) are often reluctant to store information about patients (as would be required in screening, conducting clinical trials and following outcomes). There is also the legitimate cost of storing and analysing data. Research seeing this, presumably, as research and not a part of their duties. However, scientific data is essential to progress, and can often be collected at the same time as patients are being treated. While for many reasons the collection of data is given a high priority since even in the absense of randomized clinical trials, much can be learned by comparison of data in different age groups, and living in different regions. Thus, more information will be provided about the use of clinical trials, the collection and storage of clinical (and sometimes other kinds) of data and analyzing the data - that is, learning from the information collected. Some of the analyses performed may reveal new information, e.g., the comparability (or non-comparability) of data from two regions which differ with respect to differences in average temparature and rainfall. Such a finding may lead to a greater inderstanding of the reasons for the patterns of disease or the outcomes observed with defined regions. Randomized trials can lead to the verification of true differences in disease extent and treatment outcome of patients who live in diferent regions.
We recognize the financial and physical efforts required to collect the data, but unless conclusions can be made from the studies performed, the value of the data cannot be assessed. Data management can be tedious and sometimes difficult, and can only be analyzed if structured (e.g., the elements of the study are subdivided into previously determined groups. Knowledge comes from an understanding of the ways in which things are connected. This should become, therefore, vital part of what INCTR us about. Recently, it was decided to increase, broaden and strengthen these connections within the network of NGS's that participate in clinical trials. In the coming years, INCTR will bring focus to bear on the factors that influence tumour development and growth of tumours. A variety of data will be collected and the benefits (value) of the new information gained from the study.