Oncology market research provides a feasible index for standardization of colorectal cancer chemotherapy

Abstract

Objective: Measures to evaluate standardization of cancer therapy after the major revision of guidelines for treatment of cancer are not well established. Our objective was to evaluate the usefulness of oncology market research for measuring the effect of the guidelines on standardization of colorectal cancer chemotherapy. Methods: The source of data for this analysis was the Oncology Analyzer™, which provides insight into oncology markets worldwide. We compared colorectal cancer chemotherapy before (July 2008-June 2009) and after the major revision (July 2009-June 2010) of the Japanese guideline in 2009 to determine the effect of the new guidelines on clinical practice. A total of 1425 patients were enrolled. Results: We confirmed that guideline revision had an effect on drug treatment. Regimens used were in agreement with the recommendations of the new guidelines, except that some characteristics depended on hospital specialization. A time-course study in 1 year also showed evident change in the use of colorectal cancer chemotherapy by the third quarter after the revision. Conclusions: Oncology market research is a useful tool for evaluating standardization of colorectal cancer chemotherapy. Furthermore, we expect that this method will contribute to the development of more effective cancer therapies. © The Author (2011). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.