scholarly journals Landmark Cancer Clinical Trials and Real-World Patient Populations: Examining Race and Age Reporting

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 5770
Author(s):  
Thejus Jayakrishnan ◽  
Sonikpreet Aulakh ◽  
Mizba Baksh ◽  
Kianna Nguyen ◽  
Meghna Ailawadhi ◽  
...  

Background: Concern exists that the clinical trial populations differ from respective cancer populations in terms of their age distribution affecting the generalizability of the results, especially in underrepresented minorities. We hypothesized that the clinical trials that do not report race are likely to suffer from a higher degree of age disparity. Methods: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug approvals from July 2007 to June 2019 were reviewed to identify oncology approvals, and trials with age details were selected. The outcomes studied were the weighted mean difference in age between the clinical trial population and real-world population for various cancers, the prevalence of race reporting and association of age and race reporting with each other. Results: Of the 261 trials, race was reported in 223 (85.4%) of the trials, while 38 trials (14.6%) had no mention of race. Race reporting improved minimally over time: 29 (85.3%) in 2007–2010 vs. 49 (80.3%) in 2011–2014 vs. 145 (85.4%) during the period 2015–2019 (p-value = 0.41). Age discrepancy between the clinical trial population and the real-world population was higher for studies that did not report race (mean difference −8.8 years (95% CI −12.6 to −5.0 years)) vs. studies that did report it (mean difference −5.1 years, (95% CI −6.4 to −3.7 years), p-value = 0.04). Conclusion: The study demonstrates that a significant number of clinical trials leading to cancer drug approvals suffer from racial and age disparity when compared to real-world populations, and that the two factors may be interrelated. We recommend continued efforts to recruit diverse populations.

2014 ◽  
Vol 05 (02) ◽  
pp. 463-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Ryan ◽  
Y. Zhang ◽  
F. Liu ◽  
J. Gao ◽  
J.T. Bigger ◽  
...  

SummaryObjective: To improve the transparency of clinical trial generalizability and to illustrate the method using Type 2 diabetes as an example.Methods: Our data included 1,761 diabetes clinical trials and the electronic health records (EHR) of 26,120 patients with Type 2 diabetes who visited Columbia University Medical Center of New-York Presbyterian Hospital. The two populations were compared using the Generalizability Index for Study Traits (GIST) on the earliest diagnosis age and the mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values.Results: Greater than 70% of Type 2 diabetes studies allow patients with HbA1c measures between 7 and 10.5, but less than 40% of studies allow HbA1c<7 and fewer than 45% of studies allow HbA1c>10.5. In the real-world population, only 38% of patients had HbA1c between 7 and 10.5, with 12% having values above the range and 52% having HbA1c<7. The GIST for HbA1c was 0.51. Most studies adopted broad age value ranges, with the most common restrictions excluding patients >80 or <18 years. Most of the real-world population fell within this range, but 2% of patients were <18 at time of first diagnosis and 8% were >80. The GIST for age was 0.75. Conclusions: We contribute a scalable method to profile and compare aggregated clinical trial target populations with EHR patient populations. We demonstrate that Type 2 diabetes studies are more generalizable with regard to age than they are with regard to HbA1c. We found that the generalizability of age increased from Phase 1 to Phase 3 while the generalizability of HbA1c decreased during those same phases. This method can generalize to other medical conditions and other continuous or binary variables. We envision the potential use of EHR data for examining the generaliz-ability of clinical trials and for defining population-representative clinical trial eligibility criteria.Citation: Weng C, Li Y, Ryan P, Zhang Y, Liu F, Gao J, Bigger JT, Hripcsak G. A distribution-based method for assessing the differences between clinical trial target populations and patient populations in electronic health records. Appl Clin Inf 2014; 5: 463–479 http://dx.doi.org/10.4338/ACI-2013-12-RA-0105


2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (30_suppl) ◽  
pp. 109-109
Author(s):  
Rebecca Michelle Prince ◽  
Monika K. Krzyzanowska ◽  
Eshetu G. Atenafu

109 Background: Toxicity related hospitalizations during chemotherapy are poorly reported in the literature. We sought to compare “real world” versus clinical trial rates of hospitalizations among patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) receiving chemotherapy. We hypothesised that hospitalization rates in real life patients would be significantly higher. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of Medline and EMBASE (1946-June 2013) to identify articles reporting hospitalization rates during chemotherapy in patients with cancer. Both observational studies and clinical trials were eligible. This report focuses on patients with mNSCLC receiving palliative chemotherapy as data was available for this clinical scenario in both the observational and clinical trial setting, allowing comparison. Study results were abstracted using a standardised form. Summary statistics were used to describe results and the chi-square test used to compare hospitalization rates. Results: The search identified 61 articles (all published after 1987), of which 16 were clinical trials and 45 were observational (“real world”) studies. Nine studies examined chemotherapy in mNSCLC - four observational studies and five randomised trials. The four observational studies included 7,456 patients; three included patients on any chemotherapy while the other focused on doublet regimens. Of the five randomised trials which included 3,962 patients, three treated patients with platinum doublets and two used single-agent chemotherapy. The real life cohort was older (70 years vs. 62 years). The aggregate hospitalization rate among real life patients was significantly higher than among trial patients (49% vs. 16%, OR=7.7, 95% CI 7-8.5, p-value < 0.0001). Performance status and type of chemotherapy were associated with hospitalization during chemotherapy in clinical trials while type of chemotherapy was a risk factor in observational studies. Conclusions: Clinical trials in mNSCLC consistently report lower rates of hospitalization than real life cohorts of patients undergoing similar therapies but very few clinical trials report this information.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (6_suppl) ◽  
pp. 641-641
Author(s):  
Monica Tamil ◽  
Houssein Safa ◽  
Adele Semaan ◽  
Jad Chahoud

641 Background: Having standardized and high quality reporting of patient reported outcomes (PRO), especially in clinical trials that establish standards of care in oncology is important for patient centered care. This study assessed the status of reporting and quality of analysis of PROs in FDA approved drugs for genitourinary malignancies. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the FDA archives to identify urological cancer drugs approved between 2007-2018. We retrieved the clinical trials that led to these drug approvals from ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed. We systematically screened for PROs and reviewed their analytic tools and interpretation methods reported in their published manuscripts and study protocols. A clinical trial was considered to include PROs if they were reported in either the primary or a subsequent manuscript. Results: We identified 22 clinical trials leading to FDA approval of urological cancer drugs between 2007-2018. Only 63% of trials had published PROs. PROs were reported in the primary clinical trial manuscripts for two drugs (9%), and in a secondary PRO manuscript for 12 drugs (54%). The median time between the primary and secondary papers was 12 months (IQR:7.5-26 months). Among the 14 published PRO papers, the hypothesis was broad in 79%, and not reported in 21%. PROs were never included as a primary endpoint of a study. Instead, PROs were reported as secondary endpoints in 5 (36%) and as exploratory endpoints in 7 (50%) studies, while two papers (14%) did not mention PRO reporting in their endpoints. The most common PRO instruments were EQ-5D (64%) and FACT-P (50%). In 92% of PRO papers, statistical analyses were conducted to account for missing data. Control for type I error was needed but not done in 57% of the trials. Conclusions: Delays in publication of PROs occur regularly in trials leading to drug approval in GU malignancies. Our study highlights the need to enhance standardization of the analysis and interpretation of PROs to maximize the value of this data for drug development and approval.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 2057-2057
Author(s):  
Talal Hilal ◽  
Miguel Gonzalez-Velez ◽  
Vinay Prasad

2057 Background: To date, a comprehensive evaluation of core limitations in clinical trials leading to anti-cancer drug approvals by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not been undertaken.The aim of this analysis was to assess the percentage of clinical trials with core limitations, defined as lack of randomization, lack of overall survival data, inappropriate use of crossover, and use of sub-optimal control arms that led to FDA approvals from 2014 to 2019. Methods: This observational analysis included all approved anti-cancer drug indications by the FDA from July 2014 through July 2019. All indications were investigated and each clinical trial evaluated for design, enrollment period, primary endpoints, and presence of core limitations. The standard of care therapy was determined by evaluating the literature and published guidelines 1-year prior to start of clinical trial enrollment. Crossover was examined and evaluated for optimal use. We then calculated the percentage of approvals based on clinical trials with any or all core limitations. Results: A total of 187 anti-cancer approvals were evaluated. The number of anti-cancer drug approvals doubled over time with 68 in first half of study period (June 2014 to December 2016) to 119 in second half of study period (January 2017 to July 2019). Of those, 125 (67%) were based on a clinical trial with at least one core limitation. 64 (34%) approvals were based on a single-arm clinical trial. Of the remaining 123 approvals based on randomized trials, 60 (32%) had a core limitation. Of all randomized trials, 37 (30%) lacked overall survival benefit, 31 (25%) had a sub-optimal control, and 17 (14%) used crossover inappropriately. Conclusions: The majority of cancer drugs are approved based on clinical trials with core limitations. Efforts to minimize core limitations at the time of clinical trial design are essential to ensure that new anti-cancer drugs being marketed truly improve patient outcomes over current standards.


Author(s):  
Chak Sing Lau ◽  
Yi-Hsing Chen ◽  
Keith Lim ◽  
Marc de Longueville ◽  
Catherine Arendt ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction/objectives To evaluate the incidence rate (IR) of tuberculosis (TB) and viral hepatitis B and C (HBV/HCV) during certolizumab pegol (CZP) treatment, worldwide and in Asia-Pacific countries, across clinical trials and post-marketing reports (non-interventional studies and real-world practice). Method CZP safety data were pooled across 49 clinical trials from 1998 to June 2017. Post-marketing reports were from initial commercialization until March 2015 (TB)/February 2017 (HBV/HCV). All suspected TB and HBV/HCV cases underwent centralized retrospective review by external experts. Incidence rates (IRs) were calculated per 100 patient-years (PY) of CZP exposure. Results Among 11,317 clinical trial patients (21,695 PY), 62 TB cases were confirmed (IR 0.29/100 PY) including 2 in Japan (0.10/100 PY) and 3 in other Asia-Pacific countries (0.58/100 PY). From > 238,000 PY estimated post-marketing CZP exposure, there were 31 confirmed TB cases (0.01/100 PY): 5 in Japan (0.05/100 PY), 1 in other Asia-Pacific countries (0.03/100 PY). Reported regional TB IRs were highest in eastern Europe (0.17/100 PY), central Europe (0.09/100 PY), and Mexico (0.16/100 PY). Across clinical trials, there was 1 confirmed HBV reactivation and no HCV cases. From > 420,000 PY estimated post-marketing CZP exposure, 5 HBV/HCV cases were confirmed (0.001/100 PY): 2 HCV reactivations; 1 new HCV; plus 2 HBV reactivations in Japan (0.008/100 PY). Conclusions CZP TB risk is aligned with nationwide TB rates, being slightly higher in Asia-Pacific countries excluding Japan. Overall, TB and HBV/HCV risk with CZP treatment is currently relatively low, as risk can be minimized with patient/physician education, screening, and vigilant treatment, according to international guidelines. Key Points:• TB rates were highest in eastern/central Europe, Mexico, and Asia-Pacific regions.• With the implementation of stricter TB screening and risk evaluations in 2007, especially in high TB incidence countries, there was a notable reduction TB occurrence.• Safety profile of biologics in real-world settings complements controlled studies.• TB and hepatitis (HBV/HCV) risk with certolizumab pegol (CZP) treatment is low.


JAMA Oncology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. e191870 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan M. Loree ◽  
Seerat Anand ◽  
Arvind Dasari ◽  
Joseph M. Unger ◽  
Anirudh Gothwal ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Samantha Cruz Rivera ◽  
Derek G. Kyte ◽  
Olalekan Lee Aiyegbusi ◽  
Anita L. Slade ◽  
Christel McMullan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are commonly collected in clinical trials and should provide impactful evidence on the effect of interventions on patient symptoms and quality of life. However, it is unclear how PRO impact is currently realised in practice. In addition, the different types of impact associated with PRO trial results, their barriers and facilitators, and appropriate impact metrics are not well defined. Therefore, our objectives were: i) to determine the range of potential impacts from PRO clinical trial data, ii) identify potential PRO impact metrics and iii) identify barriers/facilitators to maximising PRO impact; and iv) to examine real-world evidence of PRO trial data impact based on Research Excellence Framework (REF) impact case studies. Methods Two independent investigators searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL+, HMIC databases from inception until December 2018. Articles were eligible if they discussed research impact in the context of PRO clinical trial data. In addition, the REF 2014 database was systematically searched. REF impact case studies were included if they incorporated PRO data in a clinical trial. Results Thirty-nine publications of eleven thousand four hundred eighty screened met the inclusion criteria. Nine types of PRO trial impact were identified; the most frequent of which centred around PRO data informing clinical decision-making. The included publications identified several barriers and facilitators around PRO trial design, conduct, analysis and report that can hinder or promote the impact of PRO trial data. Sixty-nine out of two hundred nine screened REF 2014 case studies were included. 12 (17%) REF case studies led to demonstrable impact including changes to international guidelines; national guidelines; influencing cost-effectiveness analysis; and influencing drug approvals. Conclusions PRO trial data may potentially lead to a range of benefits for patients and society, which can be measured through appropriate impact metrics. However, in practice there is relatively limited evidence demonstrating directly attributable and indirect real world PRO-related research impact. In part, this is due to the wider challenges of measuring the impact of research and PRO-specific issues around design, conduct, analysis and reporting. Adherence to guidelines and multi-stakeholder collaboration is essential to maximise the use of PRO trial data, facilitate impact and minimise research waste. Trial registration Systematic Review registration PROSPERO CRD42017067799.


Open Heart ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. e000335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ina Qvist ◽  
Jeroen M L Hendriks ◽  
Dorthe S Møller ◽  
Andi E Albertsen ◽  
Helle M Mogensen ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 290-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arvin Ighani ◽  
Jorge R. Georgakopoulos ◽  
Linda L. Zhou ◽  
Scott Walsh ◽  
Neil Shear ◽  
...  

Background: Apremilast is a new oral drug for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis that reduces inflammation by inhibiting phosphodiesterase 4. Its efficacy and safety data are limited; hence, real-world outcomes are important for elucidating the full spectrum of its adverse events (AEs) and expanding generalizability of clinical trial findings. Objective: Assess the efficacy and safety of apremilast monotherapy in real-world practice. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted in 2 academic dermatology practices. Efficacy was measured as the proportion of patients achieving a ≥75% reduction from baseline Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score (PASI-75) or a Psoriasis Global Assessment (PGA) score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear) at 16 weeks. Safety was measured as the proportion of patients reporting ≥1 AE at 16 weeks. Results: Thirty-four patients were included. Efficacy: 19 patients (55.9%) achieved PASI-75 or PGA 0/1. Safety: 23 patients (67.6%) experienced ≥1 AEs. Five patients (14.7%) withdrew treatment prior to week 16 due to AEs. One patient withdrew treatment due to mood lability and depression. Common AEs included headache (32.4%), nausea (20.6%), diarrhoea (14.7%), weight loss (8.8%), and loose stool (8.8%). Conclusion: Apremilast monotherapy had higher efficacy with similar safety outcomes in the real world compared to clinical trials. There were higher proportions of reported headaches compared to clinical trials. This study supports the apremilast monotherapy clinical trial findings, suggesting that it has an acceptable safety profile and significantly reduces the severity of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Limitations include the retrospective nature of the study.


Blood ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 126 (23) ◽  
pp. 2335-2335
Author(s):  
Shammim Haji ◽  
Jignesh P Patel ◽  
Vivian Auyeung ◽  
Lara N Roberts ◽  
Julia Czuprynska ◽  
...  

Abstract Do the safety and efficacy outcomes reported in the clinical trials of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) translate to the 'real-world'? Background: A number of DOACs are now available for clinicians to prescribe in clinical practice. Whilst the results from large clinical trials demonstrate that these agents are as effective as vitamin K antagonists, there is some concern that the patients studied in the trials were not representative of patients, clinicians encounter in everyday practice. The aim of our study was to compare the real-world clinic population commenced on a DOAC to that from the clinical trials for these agents, in order to assess potential differences in safety and efficacy. Patients and methods: A retrospective observational cohort study was undertaken. Patients who were initiated on a DOAC (apixaban, dabigatran and rivaroxaban) at a large teaching hospital in South East London between 1st August 2012 and 31st July 2014 were identified through pharmacy issue data with those followed-up for a minimum of 6 months included. Baseline demographic data, rates of stroke/VTE and rates of major/non-major clinically relevant (NMCR) (ISTH definition) bleeding were assessed and compared to pooled data reported from the corresponding Phase III trials. Differences between groups were compared using t-tests or chi-squared tests. Results: During the review period, 748 patients were initiated on a DOAC, 365 for atrial fibrillation (AF) and 383 for venous thromboembolism (VTE). In terms of demographic differences, the real-world AF population comprised more females, were significantly older, had poorer renal function and a lower body weight. In contrast, the real-world VTE population typically had a higher body weight and poorer renal function, compared to the trial population, (table 1). Efficacy of DOACs was found to be similar across both the VTE and AF populations. With respect to safety, the real-world AF population experienced similar rates of major bleeding and a significantly lower rate of NMCR bleeding compared to the trial populations. In contrast, the real-world VTE population experienced a significantly higher rate of major bleeding, particularly gastrointestinal bleeding. Although the rate of NMCR bleeding was similar, there was a significantly higher rate of urogenital bleeding in the real-world VTE population, specifically heavy menstrual bleeding in women. Conclusions: The efficacy outcomes of DOAC use in a real-world AF and VTE population are consistent with the Phase III trials, despite some significant differences in baseline characteristics. However, a significantly increased rate of major bleeding was observed in the real-world VTE population, which requires further investigation. Table 1. Baseline demographic characteristics, efficacy and safety outcomes in the real-world population versus the trial population Atrial Fibrillation Venous Thromboembolism Trial population+N=28,342 Real-world population Trial population++ Real-world population N=365 N=8,716 N=383 Baseline Demographics, mean (SD) unless otherwise specified Age, years 72 (9.6) 76.8 * (12.1) 56.9 (14.2) 55.6 (18.7) Female (%) 10451 (36.9) 215 * (58.9) 3753 (43.1) 184 (48.0) Weight, kg 82.7 (19.5) 77.3 * (22.6) 84.9 (19.6) 88.2 * (23.0) Creatinine clearance, mL/min 69 (26.7) 58.1 * (26.9) 105.8 (40.7) 91.1 * (37.6) Concomitant aspirin therapy 10341 (36.5) 49 * (13.4) - 0 (0) Previous VKA use (%) 15711 (55.4) 193 (52.9) - 85 (22.2) Efficacy (%) All-cause mortality 1695 (6.0) 37 * (9.1) 160 (1.8) 10 (2.5) Stroke 676 (2.4) 8 (2.0) - 1 (0.3) VTE 39 (0.1) 1 (0.2) 192 (2.2) 7 (1.8) Safety (%) Major Bleeding 1419 (5.0) 17 (4.2) 79 (0.9) 15 * (3.8) Intracranial 170 (0.6) 1 (0.2) 6 (0.1) 2 * (0.5) Gastrointestinal 644 (2.3) 8 (2.0) 8 (0.1) 8 * (2.0) Non-major Clinically relevant (NMCR) bleeding 4824 (17.0) 30 * (7.4) 540 (6.2) 26 (6.6) Gastrointestinal - 9 (2.2) 53 (4.2) 10 (2.5) Urogenital 296 (4.2) 16 (3.9) 100 (2.5) 38 * (9.6) +Pooled data from ARISTOTLE, RE-LY and ROCKET-AF trials ++Pooled data from AMPLIFY, RE-COVER and EINSTEIN-PE/DVT trials *p<0.05 Disclosures Patel: Bayer plc: Research Funding. Auyeung:Bayer PLC: Research Funding. Arya:Bayer plc: Research Funding.


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