AdMeTech Foundation’s International Prostate MRI Working Group (MRI Group), which has been funded by the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), Department of Defense since 2005, offers a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional approach to the advancement of multi-parametric (mp) MRI technologies and methodologies and their integration with diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. In this MRI Group, AdMeTech created a unique interdisciplinary, multi-institutional environment where top international scientists, engineers, medical oncologists, radiologists, urologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists and other specialists work in cooperation with leaders of industry and advocacy to expedite the development, testing and transfer of mpMRI and the related prostate imaging radiologic system standards (PI-RADS) to routine clinical use.

 

Background

Prior to the establishment of the MRI Group, AdMeTech organized a series of meetings of international thought leaders between 1999 and 2004. These meetings have identified mpMRI as the most promising and mature clinical imaging tool for diagnosis of prostate cancer and developed a strategic plan for scientific advancement and the related implementation, including the structure, organization and function of the MRI Group.

 

Goals

The Group is modeled after the International Digital Mammography Working Group and the International Breast MRI Working Group that were established in 1991 by the Initiating Principal Investigator (PI) Dr. Faina Shtern in her position as a Chief of the Diagnostic Imaging Research Branch at NCI in cooperation with the Partnering PIs Drs. Mitchell Schnall and Constantin Gatsonis in the 90s. These Working Groups have played a pivotal role in the facilitated development, standardization, testing and implementation of digital mammography, breast MRI and related BI-RADS and led to their acceptance as a routine clinical tool today. AdMeTech’s Prostate MRI Group is a strategic partnership of leaders of academia, industry, philanthropy and advocacy formed as a “brain trust” with the goal to design and support ground-breaking research and to develop the near- and long-term research strategy for facilitated advancement and clinical implementation of mpMRI. This includes development of technical specifications, standards and quality assurance and control for multi-institutional clinical testing and translation to broad medical community. The Prostate MRI Group has developed a vision for the future and clear pathways for its successful realization.