Moderator: Rebecca Mwakichako
Date: 7^th May 2026
Speakers: Dr. Thomas Chatzikonstantinou, Ms. Anne Korir

This session examined how routine clinical data can be transformed into meaningful research evidence, with a focus on real-world data, clinical registries and everyday documentation as a foundation for local oncology research.

A central theme was the value of real-world evidence as a complement to randomized controlled trials. Dr. Thomas Chatzikonstantinou outlined how registries and clinical databases can help answer questions on treatment patterns, long-term outcomes, low-prevalence biomarkers, health economics and implementation across diverse settings. He emphasized that good research begins with realistic questions, clear endpoints and attention to data quality.

Ms. Anne Korir grounded the discussion in the Kenyan cancer registry experience, highlighting how paper files, unstructured notes, missing staging information, weak follow-up documentation and inconsistent residence or risk-factor data can limit the research value of clinical records. She underscored the need for standardization, digitization, regular data cleaning and ethical governance.

Across the session, a consistent message emerged: every clinical encounter can contribute to discovery when documentation is structured, complete and designed with future learning in mind.

  Key Takeaways

• Real-world data complements clinical trials by showing how care is delivered in routine practice.
• Routine clinical notes can generate locally relevant oncology research questions.
• Standardized documentation is essential for usable research and registry data.
• Cancer registries remain critical for surveillance, policy and outcome tracking.
• Collaboration between clinicians, registries and research institutions can strengthen local evidence generation.