Real-world data (RWD) from sources like electronic health records, insurance claims databases, and patient registries are becoming increasingly valuable in cancer research. RWD complements information from traditional clinical trials by providing insights into larger, more diverse patient populations in real-world settings. We, at BC Platforms, enable our customers to leverage bladder cancer data to support their specific research projects.
In bladder cancer specifically, RWD is being leveraged in various ways to advance research and knowledge:
- Understanding treatment patterns – A 2022 study analyzed insurance claims data of over 30,000 bladder cancer patients to reveal shifts in use of different treatments like chemotherapy and immunotherapy over a 10-year period. [1]
- Assessing clinical outcomes – Researchers utilized the SEER cancer registry database to evaluate survival rates and mortality for bladder cancer patients on immunotherapy treatments. [2]
- Recruiting for clinical trials – The ARGO nationwide bladder cancer registry screens and identifies patients for enrollment in clinical trials based on their RWD. [3]
- Evaluating biomarker use – A review of multiple real-world bladder cancer datasets looked at how often certain biomarkers were tested for and aided treatment decisions. [4]
- Modeling costs – An actuarial study predicted lifetime costs of caring for bladder cancer patients using different treatment plans based on large insurance claims datasets. [5]
RWD is a versatile tool advancing multiple aspects of cancer research and care. It provides complementary evidence to randomized controlled trials. The insights from RWD are becoming more vital given the precision and personalized nature of modern oncology.
At BC Platforms, we believe RWD provides immense amounts of population-level insights not feasible with controlled trials alone. It will continue to serve as an indispensable complement to inform bladder cancer research and care in 2022 and beyond.
Learn more from the Advances in Targeted Treatment for the Heterogenous Bladder Cancer Population Webinar.
Sources:
[1] Urology 2022
[2] JAMA Network Open 2022
[3] Bladder Cancer 2022
[4] Frontiers in Oncology 2022
[5] Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy 2022
