The Role of Real-World Data in Optimising Prostate Cancer Care

Understanding Prostate Cancer and Its Impact

Prostate cancer is a common cancer in men, about 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime (American Cancer Society, 2024). It starts in the prostate gland and often grows slowly with few early symptoms. As it advances, it can cause issues like difficulty urinating, blood in the urine, and pelvic pain. In later stages, it may spread to the bones and lymph nodes, complicating treatment. Older men, especially those with a family history with prostate cancer are at the highest risk.

Treatment Options on the Horizon

The treatment landscape for prostate cancer is complex and ever-evolving. Traditional options such as surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy have long been the standard. However, recent advancements have introduced newer treatments like immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and advanced hormone therapies. While these innovations offer hope, they also introduce a new set of challenges. The growing number of treatment options can make it difficult for healthcare providers to determine the most effective pathway for each patient. Moreover, clinical trials often do not fully capture the diversity of patients encountered in everyday practice, leading to uncertainty in real-world treatment effectiveness and potentially affecting patient care.

How Real-World Data Can Help

Real-World Data (RWD) offers the opportunity to find solutions to issues in prostate cancer treatment pathways. It encompasses a wide range of information, including electronic health records, insurance claims, patient-reported outcomes,  and data from wearable devices. These data contain detailed information about the diagnosis and the treatment of the disease and about patient characteristics and clinical outcomes of the treatment. By aggregating and analysing this data, healthcare providers can gain valuable insights into the effectiveness of different treatments in real-world settings, beyond the controlled environments of clinical trials.

One of the key benefits of RWD is its ability to identify patterns in treatment outcomes. For example, by analysing the data of prostate cancer patients who have undergone various treatments, researchers can determine which therapies yield the best results for specific patient subgroups. This enables the creation of more personalised treatment plans, improving both survival rates and quality of life. Additionally, RWD can monitor the long-term effects of treatments, uncovering potential side effects or complications that may not have been apparent during clinical trials.

Moreover, RWD supports health economics research by providing data on the cost-effectiveness of different treatments, essential for informed policy decisions and efficient utilisation of healthcare resources.