C-PASS-PC: A Cloud-driven Prototype of Multi-Center Proactive Surveillance System for Prostate Cancer

Currently there are many clinical trials using paper case report forms as the primary data collection tool. Cloud Computing platforms provide big potential for increasing efficiency through a web-based data collection interface, especially for large-scale multi-center trials. Traditionally, clinical and biological data for multi-center trials are stored in one dedicated, centralized database system running at a data coordinating center (DCC). This paper presents C-PASS-PC, a cloud-driven prototype of multi-center proactive surveillance system for prostate cancer. The prototype is developed in PHP, JQuery and CSS with an Oracle backend in a local Web server and database server and deployed on Google App Engine (GAE) and Google Cloud SQL-MySQL. The deploying process is fast and easy to follow. The C-PASS-PC prototype can be accessed through an SSL-enabled web browser. Our approach proves the concept that cloud computing platforms such as GAE is a suitable and flexible solution in the near future for multi-center clinical trials.