February 1, 2003
We are beginning the new year with a major update of the CTS website graphics. You will now find a total of more than 700 graphs. The sections on immunosuppression and organ preservation have been completely redone and various new analyses have been added to the other sections. There is now a special option which shows graphs based on the analysis of patients transplanted in Europe. We are considering the future addition of special sections for the other continents as well.
Another important new development is an expansion of the TaXi software, which now includes the possibility of producing graphs on center demographics as well as graft survival. The TaXi software package has been delivered to more than 170 centers and the new software feature is a result of user feedback. It is available not only to centers using TaXi for their data communication but to all CTS participants. A complete data download will be prepared for you free of charge. All you need is a PC on which one of the common Microsoft products (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint) is installed.
The TaXi menu item "Extras" leads you to the option "Graphics", which in turn generates a window like this:
The procedures for switching between graph formats, such as bar and pie graphs, are simple. Further graph components, such as title and colors, can be easily edited for PowerPoint presentations.
There are 5 major categories: "Transplant", "Follow Up", "Trend", "Rejection", and "Survival". The following are examples of graphs (total: more than 200) that can be produced from your center's data at a click off a button.
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If you already use the TaXi software, you can simply download version 2.0 from the CTS website (http://www.ctstransplant.org/) by selecting the "Software TaXi" option and moving to "Downloads". If you are not in possession of the TaXi software, please request the software package for your center by sending us an e-mail or fax.
The first shipping date for the CTS serum project resulted in more than 3000 pretransplant and nearly 1500 posttransplant serum samples. At the same time we received nearly 2000 samples for the DNA typing project. The collaborative spirit of the CTS community continues to be remarkable!
Sample testing is already underway and the test results will be returned to study participants in due time. We are also preparing for an updated report of all DNA typing data to participants in the DNA study.
Even before testing of this first cycle of the serum study is completed, it can be easily predicted that the results will not be conclusive. We would therefore like to make an appeal for your continued support. For centers not yet participating, it is possible to join the serum and/or DNA studies at any time. Instructions may be found on the CTS website under "Methodology", "Special Studies".
The next date for shipping material for the serum and/or DNA studies is
Please inform us by e-mail or fax concerning the shipping details (parcel number, anticipated time of arrival). Be sure to indicate on the shipping papers that you are sending material for an "international scientific study in organ transplantation", that your samples are "free of HIV or Hepatitis virus", and possess "no commercial value". Thank you very much.
Most centers have returned the yearly confirmation questionnaire for posttransplant malignancies. Thank you for contributing to this very important part of the CTS study. Here - perhaps more than with any other study aspect - each contribution really counts. My special request for checking all data entries on colon and rectal cancers has resulted in some corrections. Nevertheless, the new statistical analysis still shows a substantial decrease of rectal cancer (Figure 3).
This very unexpected result must be treated with caution, but it has not changed substantially in spite of my repeated requests for data checks. Perhaps the impressive graph shown here will stimulate you to have another look at all data entries on colon and rectal cancer. My concern, as pointed out previously, is that some rectal cancers might have been incorrectly classified as colon cancers. If you have not checked your records, please do so now and inform us of any corrections that need to be made.
This is the time for checking whether all transplants performed at your center during the year 2002 have been reported to CTS. Please report any missing transplants as soon as possible.
Thank you for your continued cooperation
Sincerely yours,