The American Cancer Society (ACS) and Flatiron Health announced the recipients of the 2023 Real-World Data Impact Awards, which will support clinically relevant research regarding the treatment of and outcomes for patients with cancer.
2023 marks the fourth year of the joint grant-making program, under which ACS-funded researchers have the opportunity to apply for an additional grant and access to a selection of Flatiron electronic health record (EHR)-derived real-world data. Over the history of the grant, a total of $900,000 has funded 12 research questions. Eight studies have been published under research questions proposed by previous grantees; this research collectively sheds light on disparities and outcomes in cancer care, focusing on acute myeloid leukemia, non–small cell lung cancer, and metastatic colorectal cancer. The findings of the published research emphasize existing inequities, underscoring the need for personalized care approaches that will shape more inclusive and tailored strategies in oncology.
2023 Grants
The 2023 grants have been awarded to:
- Michael Egger, MD, MPH, Associate Professor at the University of Louisville, who will be assessing the comparative effectiveness of second-line therapies for advanced melanoma after disease progression on immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment
- Christopher Manz, MD, MSHP, Instructor in Medicine and Medical Oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who will be determining racial and ethnic disparities in the receipt of novel therapies and survival for hepatocellular carcinoma
- Serena Phillips, DrPH, MPH, Senior Data Scientist at the University of Missouri, who will be investigating the relation between paid sick leave mandates and cancer outcomes
“Flatiron Health is incredibly excited to continue our partnership with the American Cancer Society, promoting the use of real-world data to advance innovative cancer research that supports more effective and more equitable treatments and outcomes for patients,” said Neal Meropol, MD, Vice President of Research Oncology at Flatiron Health. “Flatiron’s EHR-derived real-world data offer researchers a unique opportunity to drive inclusive research that has the potential to answer key questions relevant to cancer care delivery.”
“Our research goal at the American Cancer Society is to help save lives from cancer and that drives us to fund innovative research,” said Christina Annunziata, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President, Extramural Discovery Science at ACS. “Partnering with Flatiron to offer these important grant opportunities represents one of the very best ways to help break new ground in cancer care and treatment.”
The 2023 Real-World Data Impact Award grantees will each receive $75,000 to fund the research project, access to a Flatiron de-identified dataset derived from the data routinely captured within the EHR, and support from Flatiron and ACS clinical and methodological experts.
The joint grant-making program supports Flatiron’s and ACS’ goals of accelerating cancer research and improving treatments and outcomes for patients. This year’s grantees gathered for an informational panel discussion on their proposed research questions, emphasizing the impact of Flatiron’s real-world data on the research and the potential implications of their findings.
