Medidata Unites in the Fight Against Cancer by Supporting World Cancer Day

Cancer impacts millions of people around the world and is a major global challenge affecting patients, their families, and caregivers. In 2020, there were 18.1 million cases with 10 million deaths recorded globally, making cancer the second-leading cause of death. However, it is estimated that one-third of cancer cases are preventable, and another third have increased survival rates if detected early. There are opportunities to save millions of lives per year across the world by spreading awareness of cancer prevention and early detection, as well as information on treatment options.

World Cancer Day, which has been celebrated for the past 22 years, takes place on February 4, 2022. On this day, the world unites to raise global awareness of cancer, improve cancer education, and spur personal action regarding the disease’s prevention and detection. This year’s theme is Closing the Care Gap, which represents standing up for a healthier future in which all people have equal access to care and life-saving cancer treatments. In recognition of this theme, Medidata has reaffirmed its existing commitments to raising awareness for cancer prevention and early detection. These include:

• A virtual 5K in support of cancer awareness
• A pledge to support the Tigerlily Foundation, a national breast cancer foundation
• A Twitterchat to help build awareness and support cancer patients. Follow @Medidata #CTSM to join the discussion

See how you can get involved!

Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Are the Keys

Millions of lives can be spared from the burdens of cancer through education, such as raising awareness for the major factors associated with an increased risk of developing cancer. Preventable cancers can be reduced by adopting healthier lifestyles, including maintaining a healthy weight, eating right, staying active, not smoking tobacco, limiting exposure to UV radiation, and getting vaccinated against infection-related cancers.

Early detection of cancer also saves lives. Screening tests help detect cancers in their earliest stages so that treatment can be initiated as early as possible. Many lines of evidence show that earlier treatment can improve survival rates. Some recommended screening guidelines include:

• Colonoscopy screening for colorectal cancer is recommended for everyone over the age of 45. 
• Mammogram screening for breast cancer is recommended every one or two years for women over the age of 40. 
• Pap smear screening for cervical cancer is recommended every five years for women between 30 and 65 years old. 
• Lung imaging screening for lung cancer is recommended annually for everyone with a smoking history between the ages of 50 and 80. 

The development of novel, advanced cancer therapies over the past 5-10 years has significantly improved patient outcomes and survival rates. Additional good news is that the global oncology therapy pipeline is rapidly increasing, with a 75% increase in the number of new agents undergoing R&D since 2015. In 2020, there were 3,500 new oncology agents entering the R&D pipeline, 1,600 clinical trials initiated, and $164 billion invested in cancer research globally. These trends reflect the need to further understand the biological underpinnings of cancer, to find novel, innovative cancer treatments, and to provide patients—including those with rare cancers—with additional therapeutic opportunities.

Medidata’s Commitment

Medidata’s ongoing commitment to the fight against cancer has helped more than 335 biopharma and medical device companies conduct 1,880 oncology studies involving nearly 95,000 patients. In today’s increasingly complex world of precision medicine, Medidata’s cloud-based platform enables clinical trials to run smoother and faster, while enhancing patient safety. 

Since 2015, Medidata has played a role in the development of 75% of all novel oncology drugs approved by the FDA. Medidata’s innovative and modern clinical trial technologies serve to connect experts, researchers, and clinicians across the globe in their efforts to deliver seamless, end-to-end clinical operations, data integration, quality control, and analysis for better clinical development.

Some of these innovative tools include: 

• Medidata Decentralized Clinical Trials Program: Provides complete decentralized trial activities for oncology trials, including how patients participate and provide data for clinical trials, how investigational product is supplied to the patient, and how trial data is managed and monitored post-capture.
• myMedidata: A single-destination, patient-centric portal that allows patients to use any online device to virtually learn about, enroll, and participate in clinical trial activities.
• Acorn AI: Provides unparalleled clinical data, industry and human expertise, advanced analytics, and predictive modeling to support cancer trials from planning to launch. 
• Rave Imaging: Provides cloud-based, secure management for medical imaging tasks so that oncology studies using imaging can be managed faster, cheaper, and with lower risk. 

Medidata looks forward to continuing its efforts to support oncology clinical trials and research to identify new and improved cancer therapeutics.

Learn more about how Medidata supports World Cancer Day and oncology research here.