Open-Access Model Of Data-Sharing Enhances Cancer Research

"The Project Data Sphere® Cancer Research Platform (www.ProjectDataSphere.org) is a powerful open- access cancer data research platform. A free digital library-data laboratory, this platform was launched April 2014 as an independent initiative of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, Inc.’s Life Sciences Consortium. This web-based platform was developed for PDS by SAS.

Using this platform, researchers can download, share, integrate, and analyze anonymized patient-level data. Data providers—pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions—contribute cancer patient de-identified data. Currently the platform includes 72 datasets derived from almost 42,000 patient lives. Cancer researchers may easily access the site, provided they register and agree to responsible use attestation. More than 1,500 scientists are using PDS in their research aided by the freely available SAS advanced analytics within the platform.

The NEJM article was co-authored by Dr. Oliver Sartor, Tulane Medical School; Dr. Bruce A. Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center; Dr. Mace L. Rothenberg, Pfizer Inc.; Dr. Sean Khozin, U.S. Food & Drug Administration; Dr. Charles Hugh-Jones, Carmine Research, LLC; and Dr. David M. Reese, Amgen.

'The Project Data Sphere® Cancer Research Platform has already helped to refine our understanding of cancer’s complexities,' said Dr. Murphy. 'It is now time for all holders of clinical trial data to fulfill the intentions of volunteer clinical trial subjects to derive all the knowledge possible from their clinical trial contributions. We seek new data-sharing partners to build a global research resource for cancer patient benefit.'"