Scientists at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) in Buffalo, New York have developed a post-operative survival calculator that they have integrated into a mobile application compatible with smartphone technology.
Oncologists and patients diagnosed with colon cancer alike can benefit from this accurate, individualized technology that was explained in a presentation entitled: “Predicting individualized post-operative survival for stage II/III colon cancer using a new mobile application derived from the National Cancer Database,” (abstract 3556) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 51st Annual Meeting that was held in McCormick Place at Chicago, Illinois last weekend, gathering together some 30,000 oncology professionals from around the world.
“An accurate estimate of survival after surgery is important for patients with stage II or stage III colon cancer to know, said the study’s first author, Emmanuel Gabriel, MD, a Fellow in the Department of Surgical Oncology at Roswell Park. “Our goal is to use this calculator with real-time clinical care for patients and thus continue to validate its accuracy and gauge its utility.”
Dr. Gabriel and colleagues at RPCI used the National Cancer Database to meta-analyze 16 patient-specific demographics, tumor and treatment-related variables and their impact on survival among 230,520 colon cancer patients who received treatment from 2004 to 2006. Statistical regression was applied to create a prediction model that was then internally validated using the Database.
The prediction model was translated into a mobile calculator smartphone application that can provide oncologists and patients with an individualized five-year overall survival estimate using a point-of-care, user-friendly medium. The calculator also provides information about chemotherapy’s potential impact of on overall survival.
“Our post-operative survival calculator is unique in that it was constructed from a large nationwide cancer database and incorporates large data across a variety of settings,” says senior author Steven Nurkin, MD, Assistant Professor of Oncology in the Department of Surgical Oncology at Roswell Park. “The calculator can be specific to an individual or applicable to the population as a whole. The tool incorporates specific tumor characteristics and factors known to impact patient survival, including underlying illnesses and complications from surgery.”
Founded in 1898 with a mission to understand, prevent and cure cancer, the Roswell Park Cancer Institute is one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. The Institute is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nations leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit:
http://www.roswellpark.org
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Sources:
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 51st Annual Meeting
Image Credits:
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
