OncoSim – A Free Cancer Simulation Tool to Advance Cancer Control

CARTE Industry Speaker Seminar Series welcome Jean Yong and Dr. Rochelle Garner, for an in-person industry speaker seminar.

Topic: OncoSim – A Free Cancer Simulation Tool to Advance Cancer Control

Date and Time: Friday Feb 3, 2023 (12:00 – 1:00 PM EST)

Speakers: Jean Yong (Canadian Partnership Against Cancer) and Dr. Rochelle Garner (Statistics Canada)

Registration: Please register by filling out this form. Capacity is limited. Please register early to avoid disappointment.

Venue: Sandford Fleming Building (10 King’s College Rd, Toronto, ON M5S 3G4), Room 3201

Abstract: Simulation models are essential tools for evaluating healthcare interventions; however, developing these complex models is resource-intensive, and the results may not be timely for informing policy decisions. OncoSim is the only cancer simulation tool that is available for free to users; they can modify the model inputs to answer their policy questions. Combining Canadian data from the real world, expert opinion and clinical trials, OncoSim projects health and economic outcomes and attributes them to 19 risk factors, such as smoking and physical inactivity. OncoSim currently models four cancer sites and related screening programs in detail (breast, colorectal, lung and cervical cancers) and provides high-level projections for 25 other cancer sites. OncoSim’s projections have helped inform cancer control planning decisions across Canada. In this presentation, we will introduce OncoSim and share our experience in developing and maintaining a cancer simulation tool aimed at informing policy decisions.

Learning Objectives:

• To learn about OncoSim – a microsimulation model built with Canadian data to inform cancer control policy decisions
• To learn about the experience of developing and maintaining disease-based simulation models (how are they different than the conventional models built to answer one specific question?)
•  To learn about the successes and challenges in keeping disease-based models useful for policymakers

Speakers Bios:

Jean Yong: Jean completed her training in Operations Research and Health Economics at the University of Toronto. She has more than 15 years’ experience in generating evidence to inform healthcare resource allocation decisions. In addition to developing Markov models for health technology assessments, she has worked on a discrete event simulation model to manage surgical resources, a data portal and a spatial web application for infectious disease planning, and disease-based simulation models built to answer different policy questions.

Rochelle Garner: Rochelle received her doctorate in epidemiology from McMaster University in 2007. She started her post-doctoral career conducting population health research in the Health Analysis Division at Statistics Canada, with a particular focus on statistical methods and novel analytic approaches. She is presently the manager of the Microsimulation and Modelling Section in the Heath Analysis Division at StatCan, where her team develops and maintains microsimulation models, including OncoSim and POHEM, and other epidemiological and predictive models.