Real-World Data in Oncology: Towards a better understanding of the disease

by Ángel Barrera and Patricia Domínguez, September 30, 2020

It is undeniable that clinical studies are a key and fundamental resource for the improvement of the understanding of and approach to diseases, through the information that comes out of research into the disease, new treatments, therapies, etc. In this environment, the need to use Real-World Data to complement the traditional clinical studies is becoming more and more obvious, as they contribute a more realistic and specific view of the patient, beyond the typical information from clinical studies. This information is becoming a vitally important part of identifying the value of the therapies and treatments in real life, as well as understanding the patient’s quality of life day to day.

If there is any area of disease in which those data are playing a greater role, it is oncology.  The incidence has increased every year–up to 18 million people have been affected– and it is the disease that causes more deaths throughout the world (according to data from Globocan 2018 from the World Health Organization). There is an increasing tendency in healthcare to collect Real-World Data as a supportive tool for improving oncology care, the discovery of new treatments, etc.

The information that can be obtained from the data gathered outside of clinic studies (RWD) is providing information in real time to the healthcare industry about the efficacy and effectiveness of treatments. This allows healthcare professionals to make better decisions, more adapted to the patients and their quality of life, as mentioned in publications like “Utilizing real-world evidence to improve oncology care”.

In addition, this information offers high-value results to clinical researchers, facilitating the collection of possible new indications for therapies, as well as other data that help develop new treatments more quickly. This was made evident in the article, “Real-World Data in Oncology”.

In the collection of this Real-World Data, new technologies are playing a key role, allowing patients to incorporate their day-to-day information quickly and easily, without the need to travel. In this way, the patients can offer information about how they are doing throughout the course of their illness, beyond the monitoring carried out in studies, thus providing high-value data that add to the understanding of the disease.

Being aware of all this, at Persei vivarium we are working on the development and implementation of different projects in the field of oncology, creating a common framework for the collection of data from physicians and patients, permitting the acquisition of high-value results. Our objective is to be able to continue implementing this kind of project, using our technology, to help healthcare professionals, researchers, industry, and all the parties involved to continue obtaining real, high-quality information for the improvement of treatments and the management of this significant disease.

#RealWorldData #Oncology