How Real-World Data Can Help Track the Progression of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a non-malignant enlargement of the prostate gland, frequently observed among aging men. It can significantly impact quality of life, affecting as many as 50% of men aged 51 to 60 and up to 80% of those aged 70 and older. The condition often leads to lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), which can range from mild to severe.  

Treatment options for BPH include lifestyle changes, medications such as alpha-blockers or 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, minimally invasive procedures, and more invasive surgeries. However, the complexity of the disease, its progression, patient comorbidities, and treatment outcomes, have created critical research gaps that hinder the development of personalized treatment strategies.

Exploring Real-World Data for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Insights

Qdata BPH provides a detailed view of disease progression and treatment options and outcomes for BPH, while continuing to also provide insights into prostate cancer

To better understand the progression, management, and treatment outcomes of BPH, our Verana Health team explored BPH real-world data (RWD) from the American Urological Association (AUA) Quality (AQUA)^® Registry to draw insights from urologists’ electronic health records (EHRs), specifically clinician notes. These notes contain critical insights that could advance the way clinicians manage this condition and guide therapeutic development strategies for life science companies.

By combining RWD from the AQUA Registry with artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, such as machine learning and natural language processing, we’ve developed Qdata^® BPH, a research-ready dataset of 1.6 million de-identified patients with a median of four years of follow-up data. 

Qdata BPH provides a detailed view of disease progression and treatment options and outcomes for BPH, while continuing to also provide insights into prostate cancer. Of the patients included in Qdata BPH, 150,000 also have a concurrent diagnosis of prostate cancer. This is crucial for understanding how both BPH and prostate cancer co-occur and impact management and outcomes.

By analyzing key data points, such as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and Gleason scores for patients with prostate cancer, life sciences companies can gain a more nuanced understanding of these conditions, leading to more informed treatment strategies and improved patient outcomes.  

Bridging Research Gaps with Key Clinical Variables from BPH Real-World Data

One of the most important aspects of Qdata BPH is the granular view it offers of disease progression and patient outcomes. The dataset includes the following curated variables from semi-structured and unstructured EHR data:

• PSA levels: A key indicator of prostate health, PSA can help assess the risk of both BPH and prostate cancer.
• IPSS: An “in development” measure that will offer insights into the severity of urinary symptoms in BPH patients.
• Gleason scores: For patients diagnosed with both BPH and prostate cancer, these scores provide a deeper understanding of the aggressiveness of the cancer and its relationship with coexisting BPH.

These and other variables, including treatment pathways and procedural histories, allow researchers and clinicians to explore the natural history of BPH, as well as its intersection with comorbidities. Such insights are essential for stratifying patient populations, tailoring therapies, and identifying which patients are most likely to benefit from certain treatments.

Expanding the Future of Urological Clinical Research

Qdata BPH is designed to meet the diverse needs of life sciences companies involved in every stage of the drug and device lifecycle, from clinical development to commercialization. Benign prostatic hyperplasia RWD can be leveraged to assess patient characteristics, disease burden, and track outcomes, enabling more informed therapeutic decisions. This approach helps fill the  knowledge gaps left by relying solely on medical claims data.

To learn more about Qdata BPH and other Urology Qdata, visit this link.