Guardian Research Network and Cytel Announce Presentation at ISPOR 2022 Detailing Covid-19’s Impact on Breast Cancer

Guardian Research Network and Cytel Announce Presentation at ISPOR 2022 Detailing Covid-19’s Impact on Breast Cancer

Joint efforts recognize the global pandemic impact on the staging of cancer cases in the United States at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research conference

Spartanburg, SC, April 27, 2022 – Guardian Research Network, Inc. (GRN) and Cytel Inc. are pleased to announce an upcoming presentation at ISPOR 2022, Washington, DC. ISPOR is the leading professional society for health economics and outcomes research. The session, titled “Studies on COVID-19 Healthcare Impacts” will detail multiple studies, including “Evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on the diagnosis and staging of new breast cancer cases: A retrospective analysis of medical chart data from the United States,” scheduled for 10 a.m. ET, Wednesday, May 18, 2022.

To be delivered by Rachel Knapp, Research Consultant, Cytel Inc., the specific study is a retrospective analysis of electronic medical record data provided by GRN. Additional authors of the study are Charles S. Hurmiz, Brant Boner, and Andrea McCracken of GRN, and Fräence Hardtstock and Thomas Wilke of Cytel.

“This study demonstrates significant impacts to the delayed diagnosis of breast cancer and the differences in the distribution of metastatic stages,” said Hurmiz, Chief Information Officer & Interim Chief Data Science Officer at GRN. “We are pleased to work with Cytel to use GRN’s millions of real-world cancer records to translate Covid-19 data into insights on the treatment of breast cancer. We believe these insights will be valuable to physicians, thought leaders, and health outcomes experts, who will use this data to better care for breast cancer patients, especially those cared for in our community health systems.”

Thomas Wilke, Principal Scientist at Cytel, observed “While the initial urgency of the pandemic seems to have abated, there is much work to be done in examining the longer-term impact, particularly on those with comorbidities. Our collaboration with Guardian shows how real-world solutions can be channeled towards ensuring that the impact of the pandemic on vulnerable patients is accurately represented.”

Presentation of the study will take attendees through assessment of the impact of the pandemic on the staging of breast cancers in the US. Adult patients with a breast cancer diagnosis from 01/01/2018 to 12/31/2020 were included to understand the number of new cancer diagnoses and tumor metastases, based on a triangulation of TNM measurements, physician staging assessments, and diagnosis codes associated with metastatic disease recorded in a specific quarter.

To learn more about the conference and how to register to hear the presentation, visit ISPOR, Improving Healthcare Decisions.

About Guardian Research Network
Guardian Research Network, a non-profit organization, is a nationwide health system consortium focused on advancing technology to accelerate cures for life-threatening diseases such as cancer. ​GRN works with life sciences clients and health system partners to increase participation in data-driven clinical trials, optimize therapeutic and diagnostic studies, and employ real-world data to improve patient access to precision medicines in the under-served communities. For more on this 501(c)(3), visit www.guardianresearch.org.

About Cytel Inc.
Cytel is the largest provider of statistical software and advanced analytics for clinical trial design and execution. For over thirty years, Cytel’s scientific rigor and operational excellence have enabled biotech and pharmaceutical companies to navigate uncertainty, prove value and make confident, evidence-based decisions. Its experts deliver industry-leading software, data-driven analytics, real-world evidence and strategic consulting. Headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, Cytel has more than 1,500 employees across North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information about Cytel, please visit us at www.cytel.com.

GRN Media Contact
Charlene Smith-McCaw, MBA
Guardian Research Network
610-888-09024
csmithmccaw@guardianresearch.org

Cytel Media Contact
Esha Senchaudhuri, PhD
Cytel Inc
Office:617-987-9402
esha.senchaudhuri@cytel.com