Center for Cancer Policy and Program Evaluation (CarPE)

Generating sound evidence to inform policies and programs across the cancer care continuum, for the benefit of individuals, populations, and health systems globally.

About the Center

We leverage the diverse research expertise of Institute researchers, use and expand our large population-based electronic and other data resources, and actively collaborate with partners in the U.S. and with colleagues in other countries.

The Institute has been a long-standing home for population-level cancer research and was a founding member of the HMO Cancer Research Network and the Dana/Farber Harvard Cancer Center. Our researchers come from several Institute divisions and external institutions.

Research

Employing quantitative and qualitative methods, we study the short- and long-term effects of policies and other interventions in cancer care in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Cancer Research Areas

Marginalized populations, including sexual and gender minorities, may be at an increased risk of cancer. We elucidate such cancer inequities and ways to alleviate them.

Most new cancer drugs come to markets with uncertain evidence of benefit that is not well communicated. We collaborate on interdisciplinary research to enable patients, prescribers, and payers to make evidence-based decisions consistent with their values.

Regulators seek to balance fast market access for cancer treatments and sound evidence of benefits and risks of these treatment. With US and international colleagues, we evaluate cancer drug regulations in the US, Europe, and China.

The U.S. FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) uses the Sentinel program as part of the assessment of postmarket safety of medical devices, including devices used to treat cancers, to complement CDRH's other ongoing surveillance efforts. CDRH assures that patients and health care providers have timely and continued access to safe, effective, and high-quality medical devices and safe radiation-emitting products. FDA also utilizes Sentinel to surveil the safety of treatments among cancer patients and the risk of malignancies associated with non-cancer treatments.

High cancer drug prices impede access to and affordability of cancer treatments for patients and challenge payers and health systems. We assess the impacts of policies on cancer drug access, use, spending, and affordability among diverse populations.