How Health Economics Leverages Clinical Research to Advance Patient Care: With D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD; and Adam Lee

How This Is Building Me, hosted by world-renowned oncologist D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, is a podcast focused on the highs and lows, ups and downs of all those involved with cancer, cancer medicine, and cancer science across the full spectrum of life’s experiences.

In this episode, Dr Camidge sat down with Adam Lee, a global health economist.

Camidge and Lee discussed Lee's professional journey and personal insights gained from years of working at the intersection of clinical research and patient care. Lee described how, early in his career, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were often considered secondary or even optional in oncology trials, with the primary focus remaining on traditional clinical end points like overall survival and progression-free survival. Over time, however, he witnessed a transformation in the field, where regulatory agencies and the broader research community began to recognize the importance of integrating the patient’s voice more systematically into clinical development.

Reflecting on this shift, Lee noted how rewarding it has been to see PROs evolve into essential components of drug development. He expressed that much of his career has been shaped by bridging scientific rigor with patient-centered care, and that PROs provide a unique lens for doing so. In recounting specific experiences, Lee shared that one of his biggest takeaways from his career has been the importance of listening to patients, caregivers, and multidisciplinary teams for insights that reveal nuances about treatment experiences that would otherwise be invisible in clinician-reported data.

Lee also underscored that his professional journey has taught him the value of perseverance and innovation. Early challenges with missing data, lack of standardized tools, and skepticism from colleagues taught him to problem-solve creatively, advocate for methodological rigor, and collaborate across disciplines. Lee concluded that his greatest takeaway from his work is the reminder that oncology is fundamentally about improving both the survival and the lived experiences of people with cancer.