The Bavaria-wide Oncological Radiology Network - 'BORN' for short - of the BZKF uses the opportunities of digitization for the care of cancer patients. The aim is to perform imaging diagnostics for tumor diseases uniformly throughout Bavaria, starting at the university hospitals and to evaluate them in a structured manner. Therefore, a secure IT structure for data collection and exchange will be provided by Brainlab AG from Munich with its subsidiary Mint Medical GmbH. to develop a secure IT structure for data collection and exchange. After testing at the 6 university hospitals, the standardized collection of imaging data can be transferred to other hospitals and practices in the future, benefiting patients throughout Bavaria. In the BZKF BORN project, the radiology institutes of the six Bavarian university hospitals work closely together under the umbrella of the Bavarian Center for Cancer Research (BZKF).
Science Minister Markus Blume emphasized: "Data is the raw material of the future - in oncology it can save lives. BORN is creating a globally unique data basis for the diagnosis, treatment and therapy of cancer. The evaluation of the data is AI-based and extremely precise. This shows: High-tech helps! The BORN-project is a 'gamechanger' in the fight against cancer."
Future of medicine lies in interconnected research
Health Minister Klaus Holetschek pointed out, "The fight against cancer is one of the greatest health policy challenges of our time. According to the forecast of the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of cancer cases worldwide could almost double by 2040. We need to reverse this terrifying trend and also make greater use of the opportunities offered by digitization to do so. We are doing this by supporting projects such as 'BORN', from which I have high hopes. BORN' is designed to significantly improve the treatment of cancer patients, initially in Bavarian university hospitals. In a further step, the examination strategies developed in the BZKF 'BORN' project could then be transferred to other hospitals and radiology practices - so that patients throughout Bavaria could benefit. One thing is clear: We need to make better use of health data overall - for better treatment of patients, but also for research, development and politics. Data protection and data use must therefore be thought of together. That's what I'm committed to."
Prof. Dr. Andreas Mackensen, Director of the BZKF, affirmed, "The BZKF BORN project complements the BZKF with a networking component that supports the joint standardization, evaluation and establishment of quantitative, image-based biomarkers. Imaging plays a key role in the diagnosis and follow-up of tumor diseases. Harmonization in the acquisition and evaluation of imaging should lead to a uniform reporting of findings in tumor diseases. We are pleased to advance this important clinical project to improve the care of cancer patients in Bavaria with the support of the Free State of Bavaria." Together with the Bavarian State Ministry of Health and Care, the BZKF is funding the BORN project with a total of 855,000 euros in the first funding period."
Prof. Dr. Thomas Kröncke, one of the spokespersons of the BZKF BORN project said, "As the first project of this magnitude, the BORN project will create a globally unique data basis for the development of image-based biomarkers and artificial intelligence (AI) machine learning methods. The strength of the project lies in the Bavarian-wide agreement on standardization and structuring of imaging data. This provides the basis for scientific investigations in the BZKF network but also for collaborations with the pharmaceutical industry and medical device manufacturers. In BORN, the six Bavarian university hospitals, which are united in the Bavarian Center for Cancer Research (BZKF), and Brainlab AG with its subsidiary Mint Medical GmbH cooperate."
As part of the project, Brainlab and Mint Medical will work closely with the six Bavarian university hospitals and the BZKF to develop and establish uniform, structured and standardized reporting of oncology imaging findings in local hospitals. Mint Medical, a Brainlab company, will provide the infrastructure for the project.