The Contribution of Cancer Surveillance Toward Real World Evidence in Oncology

Abstract

Randomized control trials (RCTs) represent the gold standard by which new therapies are evaluated. However, there are many limitations to RCTs including biased populations enrolled and potential lack of generalizability. This has resulted in increasing interest in data that represent real world patients, who are not well represented in RCTs. These real world data (RWD) have the potential to provide data not captured in clinical trials such as longer term outcomes, sequelae and adverse events not identified in the sample size used for the RCT. There are many sources of RWD, all of which have strengths and limitations. This manuscript focuses on one source of RWD - the cancer registry. Cancer registries represent a set of consolidated data which are collected under state regulation in each state. As cancer surveillance expands the type and level of detail captured within registries, the potential value for complementing and supplementing clinical trials is increasing.