Spotlight: World Cancer Day 2024

Each year on February 4, health professionals, cancer societies, policy makers, governments, international health organizations and individuals unite around the world to mark World Cancer Day. An initiative of the Union of International Cancer Control (Geneva, Switzerland), World Cancer Day 2024 aims to raise awareness and improve education about cancer.  The current theme, “Close the Care Gap” continues the focus on eliminating health inequities by calling on government leaders to eliminate its root causes.

Evolving role of real-world research in oncology

According to the IARC – International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization, in 2022 there was an estimated 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million deaths. The estimated number of people who were alive within 5 years following a cancer diagnosis was 53.5 million. About 1 in 5 people develop cancer in their lifetime, approximately 1 in 9 men and 1 in 12 women die from the disease. New avenues for cancer research and care are therefore needed.

Real-world research can provide a broader perspective on cancer in diverse populations, helping researchers and healthcare professionals make informed decisions for improving cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies. Real-world evidence (RWE) can complement data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), offering insights into the routine clinical care of patients and the long-term outcomes of cancer treatments. The use of real-world data (RWD) in oncology research is also supported by regulatory bodies, such as the FDA through the Oncology Center of Excellence Real World Evidence Program, and efforts are being made to overcome challenges such as data heterogeneity and variable data quality.

Several organizations around the world are actively involved in conducting real-world research in the field of cancer. Friends of Cancer Research is developing methodologies to use RWD to accelerate the development of new cancer treatments and improve patient outcomes. The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) has also produced ESMO-GROW the very first expert-based guidance for reporting RWE studies specifically for oncology. On the industry side, PicnicHealth, Flatiron Health, ConcertAI and COTA have all announced initiatives in recent months to advance RWE in oncology.

Content from The Evidence Base