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CROES Organization
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CROES Organization:
The Clinical Research Office of the Endourological Society (CROES) is an official organ within the Endourological Society responsible for organizing, structuring and favouring a global network on endourological research. The CROES was founded during the World Congress on Endourology meeting 2008 in Shanghai and has been operational for one year now. The CROES council is composed of a Chairperson and 6 international members (2 American, 2 European, 2 Asian). The operational activities will be located in the office of the chairperson of CROES, whereas headquarters of CROES is located in New York (Endourological Society office). Operational activities include ICT/database/website support, statistical/epidemiological support, and will be assisted by an office manager.
Objectives:
The objective of the CROES is to promote and support international clinical research in all fields of endourology, laparoscopy and emerging technologies. Secondly, the CROES would like to create a global network of centers involved in endourology, laparoscopy and emerging technologies, to provide the infrastructure and support to conduct global multicentre studies. Furthermore it will provide a platform for technological development in partnership with industry to undertake phase 1-3 studies.
Ongoing Projects:
Currently there are five projects ongoing within the CROES.
The Global PCNL observational study is at present being conducted and will close at the end of the year 2009. In this study over one hundred sites from Asia, Europe and the Americas participated and in one year these sites prospectively enrolled almost 5000 patients including 1130 cases of staghorn calculi, 165 cases of single kidneys and 79 cases of horseshoe kidneys. Data from this large high quality database are being analysed to answer multiple predetermined questions with regard to PCNL.
The Global Ureteroscopy observational study and the Renal Mass study are now open for participation and will start January 4th 2010. The aim of the URS study is to assess on a global basis the indications and outcomes of both flexible and semi rigid URS. In the Renal Mass study we aim to assess on a global basis the indications, treatment modality, and outcomes of surgical treatment for renal masses including (open=laparoscopic=robotic) radical or partial nephrectomy and (percutaneous=laparoscopic assisted) tumor ablation using cryo or radiofrequency.
In the beginning of the year 2010 two more studies will be initiated; an observational study on KTP laser for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia and a randomized study on narrow band imaging in the diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer.
Participation:
Centers from all over the world, which will be willing to actively participate in each specific project, will be welcome to join the CROES Global Network. Especially fellowship based academic centers are encouraged to join the CROES. Each center participating in CROES projects is requested to include patients during a one-year period. The data collection will be via an electronic Data Management System with a simple user-friendly-interface. In order to represent the diversity of centers the number of patients is of no significance, as long as the centers include all consecutively patients treated. The only two conditions are that the principal investigator is a member of the Endourological Society and that all sites must receive prior approval of the CROES council. Prior to approval of the site by the CROES council, for quality assurance, either an IRB approval or a letter from the principal investigator of the study site assuring the quality and ethical standards of data collection must be provided.
Benefits:
In return all participants will be in a global network on endourology research and can pose a scientific question that can be replied based on the evidence in the database. Also each center will receive a certificate of contribution signed by the chairman of CROES and the executive secretary of the Endourological Society. Upon completion of each study an analysis by an independent team will be conducted and the CROES office will support the preparation of abstracts and manuscripts. All centers will be mentioned in an appendix with regard to publications and abstracts. Presentations at national meetings will be possible with sub-analysis of the results on a national level.
Support:
Pharmaceutical and device companies have supported the implementation of Global studies due to the high generalizability through the participation of many clinicians, the relatively low costs per study, the ability to generate large samples rapidly, and the great exposure for companies. Into the frame of CROES, we have witnessed for the first time the phenomenon that companies support studies that are not directly related to their products underscoring the positive impact of the CROES concept on industry.
New Projects:
Any member of the Endourological Society can put forward possible projects to the CROES council. The board of the CROES will evaluate the quality and the resources of the proposed projects, the feasibility to undertake such projects and investigate the support necessary. For each specific project a Steering Committee will be installed that will be responsible for that project.
Updates and Future:
CROES has been granted a page in every issue of the Journal of Endourology in order to inform Society members about the progress of ongoing CROES studies. Also regular updates will be provided on the website.
In the year 2010 four new studies will be initiated, of which one randomized study (NBI bladder cancer) and new projects are currently under development.
In the future, centers which perform with excellence during the clinical observational studies will be invited to participate in phase 1-3 studies.
Join the CROES Projects:
CROES encourages endourologists from all over the world to actively participate in ongoing projects.
'With your contribution, CROES will be able to help each of us reach the ultimate goal of our professional career: to provide the absolute best, least invasive, quality of care for all patients. The time is now - with CROES, the ability is yours'
For further information please visit: www.croesoffice.org or please contact the Executive Office Manager of the CROES, Mrs. Sonja van Rees Vellinga (info@croesoffice.org).
Click Here To Visit Croes...
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Upcoming Events... 2011-11-30 to 2011-12-03
2010-09-01 to 2010-09-04 28th World Congress of Endourology
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL, USA
Arieh L Shalhav
Bailey-Turner Chernise
Open Positions... 2009-09-01 Assistant Professor or Associate
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Dept of Urology
Miami, FL
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