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Job Title
Clinical Research Coordinator II
Academic Rank
Staff/Research Assistant
Department
Radiation Oncology
Authors
Patrick F. Doyle*, Maeve Dillon-Martin*, Teresia M. Perkins, John He, Kris Zhai, Daniel B. Rosen, Katie L. Hwang, Martin T. King, Miranda B. Lam, Daphne A. Haas-Kogan, David E. Kozono (* equal contribution)
Principal Investigator
David E. Kozono
Categories
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The goal of Broadband is to collect biospecimens and clinical data in a streamlined, prospective manner to inform biomarkers for radiation therapy response. From October 2016 to September 2023, over 6,800 patients have consented to participate. Patients undergoing radiation mapping at the BWH Radiation Oncology clinic are eligible for inclusion. Consented patients have blood and clinical samples collected before, during, and after treatment, in conjunction with scheduled and necessary clinical appointments. Broadband partners with the MGB Biobank to access genomic and health information, and with the DFCI CASCADE study to obtain molecular tumor data. Altogether, this enables radiation oncology research aimed at elucidating biomarkers and underlying mechanisms for prognostication, treatment efficacy, and toxicity.
Researchers utilize our data and samples through approved secondary use protocols. Recently established sub-studies include Dr. Martin King’s project to collect serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with recurrent prostate cancer receiving HDR brachytherapy (short-range radiation therapy), to understand systemic changes of the adaptive immune response. Another project, under the direction of Dr. Miranda Lam, aims to analyze circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the blood of sarcoma patients, to understand whether the amount of ctDNA corresponds with clinical outcomes and pathologic response.
Responses to radiation treatment can vary greatly from person to person and from cancer to cancer. Little is understood about the factors that contribute to these differences. Personalized cancer care is a rapidly growing field within oncology, but the labor and cost of collecting patient samples is a major barrier for research. Broadband aims to recruit a large, diverse group of radiation oncology patients to identify clues in their DNA and in their cancer that can better predict how radiation therapy will impact them. After a patient consents to Broadband, we collect medical information, questionnaires, and blood and urine samples during their usual medical appointments. Researchers can then request access to these resources for their own studies without many of the hurdles involved with starting a new project from scratch. Recent Broadband projects include Dr. Martin King’s research to understand how the immune system reacts to radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Another project, under Dr. Miranda Lam, aims to develop a blood test that can predict the clinical outcomes of patients with sarcoma, a type of cancer.
