Real-World Studies and Randomized Controlled Trials: A Podcast Discussion of the Relative Strengths and Limitations of These Complementary Designs for Cancer Research This podcast aims to be a resource for clinicians by exploring the strengths and limitations of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and real-world studies in the context of cancer research. The hosts Dr Adam Brufsky and Dr Christos Vaklavas, both of whom are practicing oncologists, provide context for the emergence of modern real-world studies and advice for interpreting real-world evidence. As a supplement to learnings from RCTs, real-world evidence can inform the treatment decision-making process in the clinic and support decisions made by regulatory bodies. This podcast is part 1 of a three-part series discussing real-world studies. This podcast is published open access in Oncology and Therapy and is fully citeable. You can access the original published podcast article through the Oncology and Therapy website and by using this address https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40487-025-00368-w. This podcast forms part of a series of 3 alongside 2 others in the journal. "A Practical Approach to Understanding Real-World Study Methodology in Cancer Research: A Vodcast" https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40487-025-00366-y and "From Non-believer to Believer: A Podcast Conversation on the Journey from Skeptic to Proponent of Oncology Real-World Evidence" https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40487-025-00367-x All conflicts of interest can be found online. This podcast is intended for medical professionals. Open Access This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The material in this podcast is included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.