Using real-world evidence to address the pandemic-related cancer treatment backlog

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals made the difficult decision to suspend critical cancer screening and treatment activities periodically to preserve medical resources and protect vulnerable populations. The suspension of crucial screenings and treatments has resulted in a backlog that hospitals and physicians will be managing and dealing with for years to come. To quantify the impact of these delays on hospital capacity, oncology and future patient care, ZS conducted a real-world evidence (RWE) study using hospital administration data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). This analysis, which was presented at ISPOR Europe 2022, studied prostate and colorectal cancer screening and treatment in Canada, both prior to and during the pandemic. The findings highlight the need for healthcare systems to prepare for a surge in advanced cases and build new system capacity.