An Overview of Real-World Data Infrastructure for Cancer Research

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Informatics
• Data Science

Background:

• Growing interest in Real World Data (RWD) for evidence generation where clinical trial data is lacking.
• Data accessibility is a significant barrier to RWD research.
• RWD offers opportunities to supplement traditional research methods in oncology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss current Real World Data resources available for cancer research.
• To outline methods for accessing these RWD sources.
• To encourage further development in RWD access for oncology.

Main Methods:

• Review of progress in facilitating RWD access across various scales (local, regional, national, international).
• Utilized case studies, primarily from the UK, to illustrate RWD access.
• Discussion of infrastructure and governance requirements for RWD utilization.

Main Results:

• Significant progress has been made in RWD access over recent years.
• RWD can be accessed at multiple scales, from local to international.
• Case studies demonstrate practical application of RWD for research and healthcare improvement.

Conclusions:

• Real-world data research is a current reality across diverse scales, despite challenges.
• Effective utilization of RWD requires clear research questions and appropriate scale definition.
• Addressing evidence gaps in oncology is facilitated by accessible RWD resources.