Photograph Reading Center (PRC)

Overview

The primary responsibilities of the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS) Photograph Reading Center (PRC) were:

• To determine when candidates for certification as COMS photographers have demonstrated sufficient technical competence in the COMS photography protocol to be recommended for certification;
• To assure that good quality photographs, taken at the intervals prescribed for the COMS (see Chapter 8), are collected and retained for analysis of the effects of radiation;
• To document complications arising from radiation therapy in eyes assigned to radioactive plaques.

During the enrollment phase of the COMS primary responsibilities of the PRC also included:

• To assure that the patients selected for the COMS medium tumor trial met the eligibility criteria specified in Chapter 5, to the extent that could be determined from Initial Visit photographs.

            All photographs taken at COMS clinical centers, except those taken as part of photographer certification, are forwarded directly to the PRC.  PRC personnel are responsible for inventory, storage, and grading (interpretation) of all photographs as outlined in this chapter.  During the enrollment phase of the COMS, Initial Visit photographs were graded for photographic quality, used to confirm the diagnosis and to estimate tumor size, and stored for comparison with later photographs to assess post irradiation complications in eyes treated with brachytherapy.  Follow-up Visit photographs are graded for occurrence of complications that have arisen following brachytherapy.