National Cancer Institute - NCI Division of Cancer Treatment and ...

The recommendations are organized
according to a format typical of articles
appearing in biomedical journals, corresponding
to the introduction, materials
and methods, results, and discussion
sections.
Repository of Molecular Brain
Neoplasia Data Brain Tumor
Repository
http://rembrandt-db.nci.nih.gov/
rembrandt/login.jsp
REMBRANDT is a national database of
several thousand primary brain tumors.
It focuses on innovation, model building,
and validation based on the correlation
of diverse data types. An in-depth, multiplatform
query in REMBRANDT can yield
such findings as the existence of a particular
genetic marker in all tumors and its
relationship to a specific tumor suppressor
gene. Researchers can use REMBRANDT
to explore how genetic changes correlate
with a patient’s response to therapy and
overall survival within given age groups,
geographical locations, and ethnicities.
The database will ultimately be fully open
and accessible to all investigators, both
intramural and extramural.
Guidelines for Marker Development
http://www.cancerdiagnosis.nci.nih.gov/
assessment/progress/markerdev.html
A researcher, when undertaking identification
of a potentially useful marker, must
consider such questions as:
■ Is there a biological rationale for this
marker?
■ ■ ■
The guidelines help researchers evaluate whether markers
or assays are ready for use in clinical settings.
Histological slide showing prostate cancer.
■ Is there an assay system available that is
working in at least one laboratory with
reasonable reproducibility?
■ Has the marker been examined in
normal as well as abnormal/diseased
tissue?
■ Can a patient population be defined
for which this marker may have utility?
What is an expected range for the prevalence
of this marker in populations of
potential interest?
■ Can the marker be measured in the
types of specimens that will generally
be available?
To assist researchers who are considering
whether to proceed with development
NCI Visuals Online, Dr. Otis Brawley, photographer.
C A N C E R D I A G N O S I S P R O G R A M ■ 43