Medical imaging and clinical trials are filled with acronyms that can be challenging to navigate. This comprehensive guide covers all essential acronyms you'll encounter in medical imaging clinical trials, expanding on existing resources to provide the most complete reference available.
This guide provides an extensive list of medical imaging and clinical trial acronyms, organized by category for easy reference. From basic imaging standards to advanced clinical trial terminology, you'll find all the acronyms you need to know in one place.
Medical Imaging Standards and Systems
Core Imaging Standards
- DICOM: Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine - The international standard for medical image sharing and storage
- PACS: Picture Archiving and Communication System - System for storing and distributing medical images
- RIS: Radiology Information System - Manages radiological patient data and appointments
- VNA: Vendor Neutral Archive - Enterprise-wide medical imaging repository
- IHE: Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise - Initiative for improving healthcare information sharing
Also Read: The Transformative Impact of DICOM in Modern Medicine
Imaging Modalities and Techniques
Basic Modalities
- CT: Computed Tomography - Cross-sectional X-ray imaging
- MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging - Magnetic field-based imaging
- PET: Positron Emission Tomography - Nuclear medicine functional imaging
- SPECT: Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography - Nuclear medicine tomographic imaging
- US: Ultrasound - Sound wave-based imaging
- XR: X-Ray - Traditional radiography
Advanced Imaging
- DCE-MRI: Dynamic Contrast Enhanced MRI
- DWI: Diffusion Weighted Imaging
- PRRT: Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy
- CBCT: Cone Beam Computed Tomography
- PET/CT: Combined PET and CT imaging
- PET/MR: Combined PET and MR imaging
Also Read: DICOM Modalities: A Comprehensive Guide to Medical Imaging Technologies
Clinical Trial Management
Essential Trial Terms
- CRA: Clinical Research Associate
- CRF: Case Report Form
- CRO: Contract Research Organization
- DMC: Data Monitoring Committee
- EDC: Electronic Data Capture
- GCP: Good Clinical Practice
- ICF: Informed Consent Form
- ICH: International Conference on Harmonisation
- IMP: Investigational Medicinal Product
- ISF: Investigator Site File
- IVRS: Interactive Voice Response System
- IWRS: Interactive Web Response System
- PI: Principal Investigator
- PMF: Project Master File
- QA: Quality Assurance
- QC: Quality Control
- SDV: Source Data Verification
- TMF: Trial Master File
Also Read: Imaging Clinical Trial Management Systems (ICTMS)
Safety and Regulatory
Safety Monitoring
- AE: Adverse Event
- ADR: Adverse Drug Reaction
- SAE: Serious Adverse Event
- SUSAR: Suspected Unexpected Serious Adverse Reaction
- DSUR: Development Safety Update Report
- PSUR: Periodic Safety Update Report
Regulatory Bodies
- EMA: European Medicines Agency
- FDA: Food and Drug Administration
- MHRA: Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
- ICH: International Conference on Harmonisation
- IRB: Institutional Review Board
- IEC: Independent Ethics Committee
Also Read: How to Reduce Reader Disagreements in Clinical Trials for Medical Imaging
Response Assessment
Tumor Response Criteria
- RECIST: Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors
- iRECIST: Immunotherapy RECIST
- mRECIST: Modified RECIST
- RANO: Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology
- PERCIST: PET Response Criteria in Solid Tumors
- WHO: World Health Organization criteria
Assessment Terms
- BOR: Best Overall Response
- CR: Complete Response
- PR: Partial Response
- SD: Stable Disease
- PD: Progressive Disease
- NE: Not Evaluable
- TTR: Time to Response
- DOR: Duration of Response
Also Read: Imaging Data Management: Essential Strategies and Best Practices
Technical and Data Management
Data Standards
- CDISC: Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium
- SDTM: Study Data Tabulation Model
- ADaM: Analysis Data Model
- ODM: Operational Data Model
- eCRF: Electronic Case Report Form
- EDC: Electronic Data Capture
Image Management
- ROI: Region of Interest
- VOI: Volume of Interest
- SUV: Standardized Uptake Value
- HU: Hounsfield Units
- MPR: Multiplanar Reconstruction
- MIP: Maximum Intensity Projection
Also Read: DICOM Metadata Extraction: A Comprehensive Guide
FAQ Section
What's the difference between AE and SAE?
An AE (Adverse Event) is any unfavorable medical occurrence, while an SAE (Serious Adverse Event) meets specific criteria for severity or seriousness.
How do RECIST and iRECIST differ?
RECIST is the standard criteria for measuring tumor response, while iRECIST is modified specifically for immunotherapy trials to account for different response patterns.
What's the relationship between DICOM and PACS?
DICOM is the standard format for medical images, while PACS is the system used to store and manage these DICOM images.
Summary
This comprehensive guide covers all essential acronyms in medical imaging clinical trials, from basic imaging standards to complex response criteria. Keep it handy as your go-to reference for navigating the complex world of clinical trial imaging terminology.
Reviewed by: Mathias Engström on March 1, 2025