Cancer moves fast, but our understanding of and the treatments for common forms of the disease are evolving even faster.
Using novel real-world data (RWD), such as EHR data, claims, and registry information, researchers and clinicians can uncover hidden patterns in cancer care, better understand the efficacy of existing standards, and develop innovative strategies for improving quality of life for people living with cancer.
At COTA, we are dedicated to working closely with the research and pharma communities to solve for conditions that affect millions of people, including hematologic cancers, lung cancer, and breast cancer.
Our real-world data assets have already been used in a number of FDA submissions and research projects presented at prestigious conferences — and we are continuing to expand our collaborations with exceptional cancer researchers, technology companies, health systems, professional societies, and regulators.
Some of our latest work has been accepted for presentation at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) 2023 Annual Conference. NCCN is the organization responsible for stewarding cancer care guidelines and standards of care.
We are proud to contribute to the growing body of knowledge around optimal treatments for cancer, helping patients and their loved ones enjoy longer, healthier lives. Here are the summaries of two studies that will be presented at the Annual Conference:
Real-World Study of First-Line Treatment Patterns in HR+/HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) at a Tertiary Care Cancer Institute
For patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer, the first-line standard of care is a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (CDK 4/6i) plus endocrine therapy (ET).
However, a retrospective claims analysis indicated that clinicians were likely underutilizing this standard of care at the Miami Cancer Institute. To confirm the finding, a research team, with the assistance of the COTA Real-World Analytics (RWA) platform, identified and analyzed RWD for a group of 135 eligible patients.
They found that the most common treatments for these 135 patients were ET-CDK 4/6i (55%), chemotherapy (21%), and ET (17%); 7% of patients did not receive any treatment (patient refusal, hospice, or death). There was an increase in the number of patients who received ET-CDK 4/6i from 45% in 2017 to 62% in 2019.
This utilization rate is actually in line with national trends, representing a very different finding than the claims data. The findings demonstrate the value of clinical RWD in understanding real-world treatment patterns and open the door to future research using RWD to investigate clinical questions including treatment responses and patient outcomes.
Real-World Study of Disease-Free Survival & Associated Patient Characteristics in Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): A Retrospective Observational Study
Surgery is the primary treatment for early-stage NSCLC, but many patients experience a recurrence even after the removal of their tumor. Researchers from COTA and AstraZeneca (AZ) wanted to understand the real-world disease-free survival rates (rwDFS) for these patients, as well as the clinical characteristics that might influence their outcomes, including epidermal growth factor receptor mutation (EGFRm) status.
Using COTA’s real-world U.S. oncology platform, the team conducted a retrospective cohort study of 703 adults diagnosed with early-stage NSCLC from 2013 to 2018 who had undergone complete resection of their primary disease.
The team found that nearly half (47.9%) of patients developed recurrent disease with a median rwDFS of 42.9 months. EGFRm-positive patients were slightly more likely to experience a quicker recurrence (31.5 months compared to 47.9 months for the EGFRm negative group). Disease stage and adjuvant therapy status were also significantly associated with differences in rwDFS in the cohort.
The analysis shows that early-stage NSCLC patients with later-stage diagnosis and without adjuvant therapy had a higher risk for disease recurrence or death, providing additional evidence for clinical decision-making around patients with factors that could lead to differing outcomes.
To learn more about how COTA can support your organization’s research strategy with oncology real-world data, analytics, and services, please visit our website or email research@cotahealthcare.com.
