How healthcare analytics leads to more precise cancer treatment

Healthcare analytics is paving the way for better treatment for cancer. In Australia, 150,000 people were diagnosed with cancer. In 2019, cancer was the leading cause of death amongst Australians. Fortunately, healthcare providers can combat cancer more effectively, thanks to data analytics. In this blog, we are going to explore some of the reasons why cancer is so hard to combat and how healthcare analytics can rectify the situation.

Why is cancer so hard to treat?

One reason why cancer is difficult to combat is because of its pervasiveness. As the leading cause of death in Australia, it has claimed thousands of lives and afflicted many more. Even in the US, cancer is a prominent chronic disease with over 442.2 per 100,000 men and women contracting it.

However, there is also the issue of treating the disease. Treating cancer is a complex process, it requires a lot of data that human medical personnel have difficulty processing. For starters, cancer is not a single disease but hundreds of different types of ailments. There are also other factors at play, like patient lifestyle, physiology, attitude, and tumor physiology. The complex nature of cancer treatment requires a lot of data.

There is also the issue of refining the treatment process. Cell engineering and cancer treatment research have been growing. However, actioning these findings have proven to be very difficult.

Furthermore, traditional tools don’t always meet the requirements. For example, conventional risk assessment tools don’t have the detail healthcare providers need. The gap between the information required and what is available is one of the main reasons why cancer treatment is challenging. This is where healthcare analytics becomes an asset.

How can healthcare analytics help?

Healthcare analytics can help healthcare providers in different ways.

Healthcare providers can analyse different factors related to cancer

Healthcare analytics provides detailed readings on cancer treatment and prevention. Data analytics platforms incorporate data sources, like family and hormonal reproductive history. So healthcare providers get more information on cancer prevention and treatment. Machine learning models can forecast patient risk better than traditional risk assessment platforms. Meanwhile, traditional models only consider a narrow selection of factors, making treatment and prevention a struggle.

Conduct more precise cancer treatments

Healthcare analytics can help healthcare providers conduct more precise cancer treatments. Most cancer treatments come down to two options: “Block” cancer cells or “kill” them. Healthcare analytics can help healthcare providers be more precise in their treatment.

Analytics platforms can analyse medical databases to better understand protein strands. Healthcare providers can use the insight to deepen their understanding of cancer cells.

Data analytics platforms can analyse millions of protein combinations. These protein combinations can target cancer cells without damaging normal cells. In other words, healthcare analytics can refine treatment. Thanks to data analytics, it is now possible for healthcare providers to take full advantage of the rich body of genomic data to find more precise and effective cancer treatments.

Identify cancer at its early stages

Healthcare analytics platforms can help identify cancer at its earliest stages. Identifying cancer at an early stage is key for ensuring patient survival. Data analytics platforms can help identify the chances of a patient contracting cancer by analysing data from different sources. Furthermore, analytics platforms make it easier to discover data trends by visualising data findings, making it easier to draw connections between disparate data sources.

Data analytics platforms can help healthcare organisations improve the pace and rate at which treatment is taking place. Healthcare analytics can help organisations optimise patient and treatment scheduling, ensuring that patients get better treatment and care, improving the patient experience better for those dealing with this difficult affliction.

Fighting cancer with healthcare analytics

Cancer is a serious ailment that has claimed thousands of people and continues to do so as we speak. While there has been groundbreaking research in this field, taking those findings and converting them into proper treatment procedures remains an issue. Healthcare analytics allows providers to close the gap between research and insights to make cancer treatment more precise. By using data analytics, healthcare providers will be better equipped to combat this serious ailment that has claimed thousands of people in Australia and around the world.

To learn more about healthcare analytics, visit Selerity.