Bioimaging Bank: Linking medical imaging and biobanking data for cancer research. 

The study of patterns in radiologic images (radiomics) has independent prognostic and predictive value that improves the ability to personalise treatment. This emerging field, which includes advanced image analysis and machine/deep learning techniques, is showing promise to be both complementary to other omics – genomics, proteomics or in some cases replace them with a more cost-effective approach.

Over the last seven years, Prince of Wales Hospital and UNSW have established and provided a standardised universal consent process, collecting and linking both clinical and biological data to specimens, as part of the Health Science Alliance (HSA) Biobank project. The dedicated biobanking database contains biological information related to the tumours from approximately 5000 patients treated at Prince of Wales Hospital. Specimens are stored, managed and distributed from the UNSW Biorepository.

The project will promote and support research by linking medical imaging data and biological tissue data for cancer patients through a single comprehensive database.

Start date 3 June 2019
Expected completion date 21 October 2019
Investment by ARDC $49,999
Co-investment partners
University of New South Wales
Prince of Wales Hospital
Lead node
1 Add diagnostic imaging information to the HSA Biobank
The Open Specimen database will be updated with diagnostic imaging information for all existing patients in the Biobank database.
2 Extend to other partners
Extend the pathway for extracting medical imaging data to other partners in the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District.
3 Completion of project
Project outcomes will be presented at an ARDC Data and Services Summit in October 2019.

Core features

Facilitate data examination
Facilitate the examination of both biological and imaging data in specific cancer groups.
Enable research
Enable research using linked diagnostic data for cancer patients.
Provide a methodology
Provide a methodology for other centres to adopt or implement as a model.

Who is this project for?

  • Clinicians
  • Researchers
  • Hospitals
  • State & Federal Health Departments

What does this project enable?

This project will make existing clinical cancer data available for research use, expand upon current best-practice in an area identified as a priority for the Commonwealth (biobanking) and provide a methodology for other centres to implement or use as a model.

University of New South WalesVisit
Prince of Wales HospitalVisit