Symposium 3: Real World Oncology Data in the Asia-Pacific: Comparisons and Collaborations for Pharmacoepidemiologists
Tracks
Track 1
| Saturday, November 22, 2025 |
| 16:00 - 17:30 |
Details
Real-world data (RWD) is critical for advancing real-world evidence (RWE). However, the diverse structures and populations represented in RWD can make it difficult to compare effect sizes and biases across RWD, especially across different countries and regions. Oncology research presents additional challenges, as cancer biomarkers, treatment decisions, and cancer progression or recurrence are not routinely captured in RWD sources. Linking data from electronic health records, cancer registries, and healthcare claims can enrich analyses but can also reduce sample size and introduce selection bias. While big data has numerous strengths, bigger is not always better, and researchers must carefully select and curate their data with alternative data sources. This symposium brings together stakeholders with experience working with oncology databases in Asia to advance the discussion of RWD and the development of RWE. This session is relevant to all interested in pharmacoepidemiology.
The first presenter will briefly review the types and diversity of oncology RWD presented at ISPE and ACPE pharmacoepidemiology conferences in 2025 and introduce frameworks to organize the breadth and depth of these data sources. The next four presenters will share example studies using oncology RWD from Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan.
We will provide a comparative summary of the data sources presented, place the databases into the context of other prominent national and regional oncology databases, and introduce an ongoing ISPE Cancer SIG project to describe and compare oncology RWD sources for pharmacoepidemiology.
The session will conclude with a moderated panel discussion incorporating audience questions.
Upon completion of this symposium, participants will be able to:
1. Introduce the types and diversity of oncology RWD presented at the 2025 ISPE Annual and ACPE regional pharmacoepidemiologic conferences.
2. Appreciate the data structure, available variables, and opportunities to link health data to cancer registries through case study examples.
3. Discuss considerations for selecting and using specific RWD in the Asia Pacific region for oncology research.
4. Introduce members to opportunities available through ISPE Special Interest Groups (SIGs), specifically the Cancer SIG.
Speaker
Dr Benjamin Daniels
UNSW Sydney
Symposium Moderator
Biography
Ben Daniels is a Senior Research Fellow, pharmacoepidemiologist, and biostatistician with the Medicines Intelligence Research Program, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney. He is an Australian leader in cancer pharmacoepidemiology and has over 14 years’ experience working with linked Australian health data (dispensing claims, cancer registry, mortality, hospitalisation, etc…) for post-market surveillance of prescribed medicines, with a focus on addressing stakeholder-relevant questions around their use, safety, and efficacy. Currently, his research focuses on biologic cancer therapies, early-onset colorectal cancer, multiple medicine use (polypharmacy), opioids, and the Australian policies governing access to medicines.
Dr Krishna Undela
Assistant Professor
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Guwahati
Symposium Moderator
Biography
Dr. Krishna Undela completed his M.Pharm (Pharmacy Practice) at the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Mohali in 2012, and his Ph.D. at the JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, in 2019. From October 2012 to August 2020, he worked as a Lecturer in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at JSS College of Pharmacy, Mysuru. Subsequently, he joined NIPER Guwahati as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice. He teaches subjects such as Clinical Pharmacy, Pharmacoepidemiology, Pharmacoeconomics, Pharmacovigilance, Pharmacotherapeutics, and Evidence-Based Medicine. His primary research areas include medication therapy management in chronic diseases, evidence synthesis, pharmacovigilance data mining, and health economics and outcomes research.
Dr. Benjamin Bates
Assistant Professor
Rutgers
Symposium Presenter
Biography
Dr. Benjamin Bates is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Rutgers University Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science. He is an active member of ISPE and serves as the Chair of the Cancer SIG. His research leverages large databases, including claims, registries, and electronic health records, to evaluate cancer treatments, health services, and health outcomes of cancer survivors. He has received funding from federal, state, and non-profit organizations to support his research. He is the PI of an ongoing NIH/NCI-funded study to evaluate the impact of treatment disruptions among cancer survivors following severe storms and to prioritize strategies to reduce these disruptions and optimize care. He serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of General Internal Medicine and on the Editorial Board of Journal of Clinical Oncology Clinical Cancer Informatics. He is a speaker for two sessions at ACPE 2025: (1) preconference session Methods in Environmental Pharmacoepidemiology in the Advanced Pharmacoepidemiology track; (2) symposium Real World Oncology Data in the Asia-Pacific: Comparisons and Collaborations for Pharmacoepidemiologists.
Dr. Wei Kang
Associate professor
School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
Symposium Presenter
Biography
Dr. Wei Kang is an Associate Professor at the School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University. She earned her PhD from The University of Hong Kong and completed postdoctoral training at the Centre for Safe Medication Practice and Research. Her research focuses on pharmacoepidemiology and health economics, particularly the use of real-world data to improve cancer care. She has investigated the effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of anticoagulants for cancer-associated thrombosis, as well as vaccine safety and disease burden in oncology populations. Dr. Kang has published in top international journals and is dedicated to generating evidence that supports clinical decision-making and informs health policy.
Mr Avery Shuei-He Yang
PhD student
Population Health Data center
Symposium Presenter
Biography
Avery Yang is a pharmacoepidemiologist and Ph.D. candidate from National Cheng Kung University of Taiwan. After graduating from master program of clinical pharmacy, he has conducted studies using cancer registry databases and large health insurance datasets, applying advanced designs such as target-trial emulation, case-crossover studies, and the clone-censor-weight method to address time-related bias. Passionate about advancing research methodology, he actively explores innovative study designs and analytic strategies to relax the limitation of observational study.
Research Professor Ju Hwan Kim
Research Professor
Sungkyunkwan University
Symposium Presenter
Biography
Dr. Ju Hwan (Joe) Kim is a Research Professor at the School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU). His research focuses on pharmacoepidemiology, regulatory science, and clinical pharmacy, with expertise in oncology and external control arm (ECA) designs. He is particularly interested in advancing methods that support regulatory decision making and post-marketing safety evaluation. Dr. Kim has published widely in international journals and contributed to collaborative projects across academia, government, and industry.
Professor Hiraku Kumamaru
Professor
Yokohama City University
Symposium Presenter
Biography
Dr. Hiraku Kumamaru is a professor of health data science at Yokohama City University, with expertise in real-world data analysis and pharmacoepidemiology. Trained as a medical doctor and pharmacoepidemiologist, he conducts collaborative clinical research using large-scale claims data, hospital-based databases, and surgical and interventional registries. His work bridges clinical insight and data science to generate evidence that informs both patient care and health policy.
