Dr. Cristina Villena Portella, Unidad de Investigación, from the Hospital Universitario Son Dureta in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, visited the Data Coordinating Center (DCC) on Friday, March 7, 2008. Dr. Villena Portella was on a fact finding trip to assist in starting up a similar project for the country of Spain. In addition to visiting Clinical Trials and Surveys Corporation (DCC), she also visited the Tissue Core Lab with Dr. Carlyne Cool.

Pictured left to right are: Daner Li, Project Manager/Biostatistician; Cathy Fuller, Data Coordinator, Cristina Villena Portella, Unidad de Investigación; Bruce Thompson, Principal Investigator; Margaret Frederick, Co-Principal Investigator/Biostatistician.

The LTRC began recruitment in February 2005. The LTRC is currently at approximately 115% of the goal of 1,600 subjects with a total of 1844 enrolled as of September 30, 2008. Tissues have been collected from 1475 patients. Tissues from those subjects have included lung explants, lung lobectomies, wedge resections, lung biopsies and LVRS. We are currently in negotiation to increase the sample size.