The Institute of Cancer Research highlights the vital role of statistics in shaping cancer breakthroughs for World Statistics Day 2025

Christine Stuttle
What Clinical Trials really look like or Humble Histology

(IN BRIEF) In recognition of World Statistics Day 2025, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London, is spotlighting the essential role of statisticians in advancing cancer research through reliable, transparent, and responsible data analysis. The event, themed “Quality statistics and data for everyone,” highlights how statistical methods underpin scientific breakthroughs. PhD student Emily Alger, working under Professor Christina Yap at the ICR’s Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit, is developing adaptive trial designs that integrate patient-reported outcomes in early-phase oncology studies. Her work builds on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, when similar adaptive statistical methods enabled rapid vaccine discovery. Emily stresses the ethical responsibility of statisticians and the importance of clear, data-driven communication in science. As she prepares to join the University of Oxford, her story exemplifies how statistical innovation at the ICR continues to shape cancer treatment and research.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 21-Oct-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — As the world prepares to mark World Statistics Day on 20 October 2025, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London, is highlighting the crucial role statisticians play in transforming data into life-saving discoveries. This year’s global observance, themed “Quality statistics and data for everyone,” underscores how reliable data supports innovation, informed policymaking, and societal progress — values that lie at the heart of ICR’s mission to defeat cancer.

The value of quality data was brought into sharp focus during the COVID-19 pandemic, when adaptive statistical trial designs enabled scientists to identify effective vaccines and treatments at unprecedented speed. These same adaptive designs — particularly platform trials that can test multiple treatments simultaneously — have long been a cornerstone of oncology research. The methods that proved so effective in addressing COVID-19 are now being refined and applied once more to accelerate breakthroughs in cancer care.

At the ICR, statisticians are at the forefront of this data-driven transformation. Among them is PhD student Emily Alger, part of the Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit (CTSU), whose work explores how patient-reported outcomes can be integrated into early-phase dose-finding oncology trials. Emily joined the ICR in 2022 after completing her degrees in Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Warwick and participating in the ICR’s Summer Scholarship Scheme. Under the supervision of Professor Christina Yap, Professor of Clinical Trials Biostatistics and Group Leader of ICR-CTSU Early Phase and Adaptive Trials, Emily has focused her doctoral research on how patients’ own assessments of treatment tolerability can inform trial decision-making.

Her research reflects a broader evolution in statistical science — one that embraces both adaptability and responsibility. “I’m particularly fascinated by the interplay between structure and randomness in data,” Emily said. “Statistics provides tools to interpret data amidst uncertainty and to make informed, data-driven decisions.” She also emphasized that statistics is not only about numbers but about integrity: “Transparency, reproducibility, and critical thinking are essential. Misinterpreting data can lead to misplaced confidence or missed opportunities.”

As Emily prepares to complete her PhD and begin a postdoctoral role at the University of Oxford, she reflects on her journey from theory to application: “Studying statistics is like working with a colouring book — theory gives you the outlines, but applied research fills in the picture. My time at the ICR has shown me how statistical thinking can bridge the gap between complex data and meaningful clinical outcomes.”

Emily believes that the partnership between statistics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning will continue to shape scientific progress — provided that these technologies remain grounded in solid methodological principles. She also sees the role of statisticians as educators and advocates, helping the public become more confident in interpreting data and questioning evidence-based claims.

World Statistics Day 2025 offers a moment to celebrate statisticians like Emily and Professor Yap, who embody the discipline’s core principles of precision, transparency, and responsibility. At the ICR, their work illustrates that behind every cancer breakthrough lies careful statistical design and a commitment to trustworthy data — ensuring that every figure and model contributes to improving patient outcomes.

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Tel: 0203 437 3502
email: mediaoffice@icr.ac.uk

SOURCE: The Institute of Cancer Research