OCTO (Oxford Oncology Clinical Trial Office)

OCTO (Oxford Oncology Clinical Trial Office) is the oncology division of the UKCRC registered Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit (OCTRU), providing clinical trial management support to investigators across the CRUK Oxford Centre to manage trials from concept to completion.

OCTO and DART

OCTO manage the blood sample collection of DART, known as SCOOT (Sample Collection for the Integration and Analysis of Data using Artificial Intelligence to Improve Patient Outcomes with Thoracic Diseases). OCTO is developing SCOOT, including the study set up, protocol and patient information, as well as the associated sample handling documentation for DART’s  work package on the Integration of Blood Biomarkers.  Once the national regulatory approvals are in place, OCTO will support the participating sites in obtaining their local regulatory approvals for the study start-up. This responsibility will be maintained for the implementation of approvals for study amendments or updates occurring throughout the period of the study.

Our OCTO SCOOT trial team (octo-scoot@oncology.ox.ac.uk) will be liaising with the study teams at each of the participating sites, from study start to closure, ensuring the protocol is appropriately implemented and maintained by providing direct support, communication and training. We will be making regular update reports to our stakeholders and collaborators on the study sites’ progress, including patient recruitment, uptake to the SCOOT sample collection study and any emerging logistical issues. Specifically, we are responsible for working with the Lung Health Checks and follow on hospitals in the planning and schedule for the sample collection procedures at the sites.   We will be ensuring the secure transfer of the SCOOT patient samples from the participating sites to delegated laboratories and biobanks within academic, commercial and NHS institutions according to regulatory requirements, protocol and individual participant consent.

See and download Patient Information Sheets and Consent forms here. [links to be provided after REC approval]

OCTO, through SCOOT, is providing an important resource for completing the DART study aim of collective data integration for improved knowledge in thoracic disease diagnosis and outcomes.