Dr. C.K. Wang, Chief Medical Officer at COTA, has identified major obstacles in delivering optimal cancer care, highlighting how real-world data could transform oncology treatment decisions.
In a recent interview with Applied Clinical Trials, Wang discussed findings from his study on leveraging real-world data (RWD) to enhance oncology reporting, while addressing persistent challenges oncologists face in clinical practice.
Financial Toxicity: A Growing Burden
"First and foremost is cost and financial toxicity," Wang explained when asked about the greatest challenges in bringing effective therapies to cancer patients. While cost concerns have always existed in cancer care, the issue has intensified with the introduction of novel therapies.
"The majority of these novel therapies are very expensive. This cost is almost always passed on to the patient, and in more cases than not, these costs are just too high for most," Wang noted. This financial burden can significantly impact treatment decisions and patient outcomes, creating barriers to accessing potentially life-saving medications.
Treatment Sequencing Dilemmas
The second major challenge Wang identified stems from the "rapid explosion" of novel oncology treatments: determining the optimal sequence for deploying these therapies.
"Our clinical trials are really not the best at helping us with this question as they are conducted only in very specific treatment settings that the sponsor is looking at," Wang stated. He further explained that many trials compare new treatments to therapies that are "no longer considered to be the standard of care in that field."
This creates a paradoxical situation where the abundance of treatment options actually complicates clinical decision-making. "This is a scenario where too much of a good thing too soon, or in too short of a time period can be a true challenge when it comes to translating all that into real-world everyday clinical practice," Wang observed.
The Promise of Real-World Data
Wang's research focuses on how real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) can address these challenges. By analyzing treatment patterns, outcomes, and costs outside the controlled environment of clinical trials, researchers can gain insights into how therapies perform in diverse patient populations and clinical settings.
These data sources can help identify cost-effective treatment approaches and provide guidance on optimal sequencing strategies based on real-world outcomes rather than trial-specific results.
Wang's study on leveraging RWD to improve oncology reporting represents an important step toward more informed clinical decision-making and potentially more accessible cancer care. As the oncology landscape continues to evolve with new therapeutic options, the integration of real-world insights with traditional clinical trial data will be crucial for optimizing patient outcomes.
Future Directions
The growing emphasis on real-world data in oncology research signals a shift toward more pragmatic approaches to evidence generation. By complementing randomized controlled trials with real-world insights, the oncology community can develop more comprehensive treatment guidelines that reflect the complexities of clinical practice.
For patients, this evolution in research methodology offers hope that future treatment decisions will be increasingly informed by evidence that represents diverse populations and real-world conditions, potentially leading to more personalized and cost-effective care strategies.
