Publications

Cohort profile: APCaRI Registry and Biorepository facilitates technology translation to the clinic through the use of linked, longitudinal clinical and patient-reported data and biospecimens from men in Alberta, Canada

Vasquez C, Kolinsky M, Djebah R, Uhlich M, Donnelly B, Fairey AS, Hyndman E, Usmani N, Wu J, Venner P, Ruether D, Todd G, Chetner M, Crump RT, Beatty PH, Lewis JD. Cohort profile: the Alberta Prostate Cancer Research Initiative (APCaRI) Registry and Biorepository facilitates technology translation to the clinic through the use of linked, longitudinal clinical and patient-reported data and biospecimens from men in Alberta, Canada. BMJ Open. 2020 Oct 16;10(10):e037222. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-037222. PMID: 33067276; PMCID: PMC7569975

Abstract
Purpose: The Alberta Prostate Cancer Research Initiative (APCaRI) Registry and Biorepository was established in 2014 by the APCaRI to facilitate the collection of clinical and patient-reported data, biospecimen, to measure prostate cancer outcomes and to support the development and clinical translation of innovative technologies to better diagnose and predict outcomes for patients with prostate cancer.

Participants: Men suspected with prostate cancer and referred to Urology centres in Alberta were enrolled in the APCaRI 01 study, while men with a prior prostate cancer diagnosis participated in the APCaRI 03 study from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2019. The APCaRI Registry and Biorepository links biospecimens and data from a wide representation of patients drawn from an Alberta population of more than 4 million.

Findings to date: From 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2019, total APCaRI 01 and 03 study recruitment was 3754 men; 142 (4%) of these men withdrew in full, 65 men (2%) withdrew biospecimens and 123 men (3%) died of any cause. Over this same time, 8677 patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) surveys and 7368 biospecimens were collected and are available from the registry and biorepository, respectively. The data entry error rate was 0.8% and 0.95% for critical and non-critical values, respectively, and 1.8% for patient-reported surveys.

Future plans: The APCaRI Registry and Biorepository will collect longitudinal data and PROM surveys until 2024, patient outcomes up to 25 years after recruitment and biospecimen storage for up to 25 years. The APCaRI cohorts will continue to provide data and samples to researchers conducting retrospective studies. The richness of the data and biospecimens will complement many different research questions, ultimately to improve the quality of care for men with prostate cancer.

Keywords: Biorepositories; Cohort Profile; OutcomeMeasures; Patient Reported; Prostatic Neoplasms; Registries; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Translations.

Congratulations to APCaRI recipients of JAHIP grants!

Congratulations to Drs. John Lewis, Eric Hyndman, Morley Hollenberg and Harvey Quon for being awarded each with a JAHIP grant (Johnson & Johnson Alberta Health Innovation Partnership) to better diagnose prostate cancer using different platforms and to determine mutations in patients with high-risk PCa.

This is a great opportunity to start long-lasting partnerships with J&J and the University Hospital Foundation and to develop new and better tests for PCa.

The original plan was to fund 2 applications, however, due to the high quality of the proposals, the committee decided to grant 2 more.

- Catalina Vasquez