Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39938017›Full record

ArticleJCO clinical cancer informatics2025

Leveraging Radiotherapy Data for Precision Oncology: Veterans Affairs Granular Radiotherapy Information Database.

Evangelia Katsoulakis, Cecelia J Madison, Rishabh Kapoor, Ryan A Melson, Anthony Gao, Jiantao Bian, Ryan M Hausler, Peter N Danilov, Nicholas G Nickols, Abhishek A Solanki and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JCO clinical cancer informatics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Evangelia KatsoulakisVA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI), VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT.ORCID 0000-0003-3462-6303
Cecelia J MadisonVA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI), VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT.ORCID 0000-0002-0261-0414
Rishabh KapoorVA National Radiation Oncology Program, Richmond, VA.
Ryan A MelsonResearch and Development Service, VA Portland Healthcare System, Portland, OR.ORCID 0000-0002-2230-908X
Anthony GaoVA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI), VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT.ORCID 0000-0001-6781-7873
Jiantao BianVA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI), VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT.ORCID 0000-0001-5989-5177
Ryan M HauslerVA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI), VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT.
Peter N DanilovVA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI), VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT.
Nicholas G NickolsRadiation Oncology Service, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA.
Abhishek A SolankiDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Edward Hines Jr VA Hospital, Hines, IL.
William C SleemanVA National Radiation Oncology Program, Richmond, VA.ORCID 0000-0002-8431-8483
Jatinder R PaltaVA National Radiation Oncology Program, Richmond, VA.
Scott L DuVallVA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI), VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT.ORCID 0000-0002-4898-3865
Julie A LynchVA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI), VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT.ORCID 0000-0003-0108-2127
Reid F ThompsonVA National Radiation Oncology Program, Richmond, VA.ORCID 0000-0003-3661-5296
Maria KellyVA National Radiation Oncology Program, Richmond, VA.

Funding

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) VA ORD 24-D4V-02
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeDespite the frequency with which patients with cancer receive radiotherapy, integrating radiation oncology data with other aspects of the clinical record remains challenging because of siloed and variable software systems, high data complexity, and inconsistent data encoding. Recognizing these challenges, the Veterans Affairs (VA) National Radiation Oncology Program (NROP) is developing Granular Radiotherapy Information Database (GRID), a platform and pipeline to combine radiotherapy data across the VA with the goal of both better understanding treatment patterns and outcomes and enhancing research and data analysis capabilities.

methodsThis study represents a proof-of-principle retrospective cohort analysis and review of select radiation treatment data from the VA Radiation Oncology Quality Surveillance Program (VAROQS) initiative. Key radiation oncology data elements were extracted from Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine Radiotherapy extension (DICOM-RT) files and combined into a single database using custom scripts. These data were transferred to the VA's Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW) for integration and comparison with the VA Cancer Registry System and tumor sequencing data.

resultsThe final cohort includes 1,568 patients, 766 of whom have corresponding DICOM-RT data. All cases were successfully linked to the CDW; 18.8% of VAROQS cases were not reported in the existing VA cancer registry. The VAROQS data contributed accurate radiation treatment details that were often erroneous or missing from the cancer registry record. Tumor sequencing data were available for approximately 5% of VAROQS cases. Finally, we describe a clinical dosimetric analysis leveraging GRID.

conclusionNROP's GRID initiative aims to integrate VA radiotherapy data with other clinical data sets. It is anticipated to generate the single largest collection of radiation oncology-centric data merged with detailed clinical and genomic data, primed for large-scale quality assurance, research reuse, and discovery science.

Indexed as

Databases, FactualNeoplasmsPrecision MedicineRadiation OncologyRadiotherapyFemaleHumansMaleRetrospective StudiesUnited StatesUnited States Department of Veterans Affairs

Identifiers

PMID39938017
PMCPMC11841735

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.