Background
Despite the development of treatment guidelines, quantitative risk stratification and management of malignancies remains overly subjective. Nomograms and statistical algorithms offer an objective basis for critical decision-making by both physicians and patients. These tools remain largely under or un-utilized in routine clinical practice due to barriers of access and ease of use. We sought to create a novel web-based tool where risk stratification tools and predictive models can be easily accessed, interpreted, and applied by physicians at the point of care and patients before, during or after their treatment.
Summary of the Invention
The methods of this invention allow calculation of an objective and personalized risk metric using easily identified characteristics of a cancer patient. These models allow cancer predictive tools, pre and post operative risk stratification, and competing risk analysis (i.e. will a patient most likely die of cancer or some other cause – information which may inform treatment decisions). Objectification of risk improves decision analysis for both patients and physicians allowing personalized treatment and surveillance plans improving performance of guidelines and best practice recommendations. Characteristics comprise demographic, pathologic, and laboratory variables as well as competing health risks including but not limited to another cancer, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, liver diseases etc.
The treatment regimen is monitored and these risk assessment methods may be repeated for the same patient after a period time. The new risk score may be compared with the previous risk score for the same patient or with a risk score of healthy population or of populations with different stages of the patient’s cancer. As such, both physicians and patients can objectify the patient’s risk on the comparison data and base important forward decisions on this information. This web based tool also incorporates surveillance guidelines to minimize overtesting.
The proposed risk stratification platform affords flexibility to integrate novel predictive models as these are developed. To see how this technology works please visit our website: www.cancernomograms.com
Patent Status: A Patent Application has been filed.
For Licensing/Partnering information, please contact:
Inna Khartchenko, MS, MBA
Director, Licensing Associate
Director, Office of Research and Development Alliances
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Tel.: 215-214-3989
E-mail: [email protected]