Chemotherapy and Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in the last month of life in patients with metastatic lung cancer: A patient file study in the Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: Chemotherapy in the last month of life for patients with metastatic lung cancer is often considered as aggressive end-of-life care. Targeted therapy with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) is a relatively new treatment of which not much is known yet about use in the last month of life. We examined what percentage of patients received chemotherapy or TKIs in the last month of life in the Netherlands. METHODS: Patient files were drawn from 10 hospitals across the Netherlands. Patients had to meet the following eligibility criteria: metastatic lung cancer; died between June 1, 2013 and July 31, 2015. RESULTS: From the included 1,322 patients, 39% received no treatment for metastatic lung cancer, 52% received chemotherapy and 9% received TKIs. A total of 232 patients (18%) received treatment in the last month of life (11% chemotherapy, 7% TKIs). From the patients who received chemotherapy, 145 (21%) received this in the last month of life and 79 (11%) started this treatment in the last month of life. TKIs were given and started more often in the last month of life: from the patients who received TKIs, 87 (72%) received this treatment in the last month of life and 15 (12%) started this treatment in the last month of life. CONCLUSION: A substantial percentage of patient received and even started chemotherapy or TKIs in the last month of life. For chemotherapy, this might be seen as aggressive care. TKIs are said to have less side effects, do not lead to many hospital visits and due to the rapid response, are considered good palliation. However, it is not known, yet possible that, when patients still receiving treatment until shortly before death, this might influence preparing for death in a negative way.

Is In-Hospital Mortality Higher in Patients With Metastatic Lung Cancer Who Received Treatment in the Last Month of Life? A Retrospective Cohort Study.

CONTEXT: Metastatic lung cancer is an incurable disease that results in a high burden of symptoms, a poor quality of life, and an expected prognosis of less than one year after diagnosis. Treatment shortly before death may result in potential burdensome and inappropriate hospital admissions and hospital deaths. Dying at home is, at a population level, considered a quality for good end-of-life care. OBJECTIVES: We examined what percentage of patients with metastatic lung cancer died inside the hospital and if hospital death, or other characteristics of the patient, oncologist or health care, were associated with treatment in the last month of life. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study evaluated the medical records of 1322 patients with metastatic lung cancer who received care at one of 10 hospitals across The Netherlands and died between 1/6/2013 and 31/7/2015. Demographic and clinical characteristics were obtained from the medical records. RESULTS: In total, 18% of the patients died during a hospital admission. This percentage was higher for patients who received chemotherapy (42%) or targeted therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (25%) in the last month of life. Patients younger than 60 years of age, patients who received chemotherapy in the last month of life, and patients in whom tyrosine kinase inhibitors were started in the last month of life were more likely to die inside the hospital. CONCLUSION: In The Netherlands, fewer than one in five patients with metastatic lung cancer died in the hospital and in-hospital death was associated with the relatively late use of chemotherapy or targeted therapy. Careful selection of patients for disease-modifying therapy might enhance the opportunity for patients to die at their preferred place.

Treatment Patterns and Differences in Survival of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Between Academic and Non-Academic Hospitals in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study are to analyze differences in survival between academic and non-academic hospitals and to provide insight into treatment patterns for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Results show the state of NSCLC survival and care in the Netherlands. METHODS: The Netherlands Cancer Registry provided data on NSCLC survival for all Dutch hospitals. We used the Kaplan-Meier estimate to calculate median survival time by hospital type and a Cox proportional hazards model to estimate the relative risk of mortality (expressed as hazard ratios) for patients diagnosed in academic versus non-academic hospitals, with adjustment for age, gender, and tumor histology, and stratifying for disease stage. Data on treatment patterns in Dutch hospitals was obtained from 4 hospitals (2 academic, 2 non-academic). A random sample of patients diagnosed with NSCLC from January 2009 until January 2011 was identified through hospital databases. Data was obtained on patient characteristics, tumor characteristics, and treatments. RESULTS: The Cox proportional hazards model shows a significantly decreased hazard ratio of mortality for patients diagnosed in academic hospitals, as opposed to patients diagnosed in non-academic hospitals. This is specifically true for primary radiotherapy patients and patients who receive systemic treatment for non-metastasized NSCLC. CONCLUSION: Patients diagnosed in academic hospitals have better median overall survival than patients diagnosed in non-academic hospitals, especially for patients treated with radiotherapy, systemic treatment, or combinations. This difference may be caused by residual confounding since the estimates were not adjusted for performance status. A wide variety of surgical, radiotherapeutic, and systemic treatments is prescribed.

Implementation of endoscopic ultrasound for lung cancer staging.

BACKGROUND: EUS-guided FNA is currently advocated in lung cancer staging guidelines as an alternative for surgical staging to prove mediastinal metastases. To date, training requirements for chest physicians to obtain competency in EUS for lung cancer staging are unknown. OBJECTIVE: To test a training and implementation strategy for EUS for the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. DESIGN: Prospective national multicenter implementation trial. Nine (chest) physicians from 5 hospitals participated in a dedicated EUS educational program (investigation of 50 patients) for the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. EUS outcomes of trainees were compared with those of the training center. SETTING: Four general hospitals, the national cancer center (implementation centers), and a tertiary referral center (expert center). PATIENTS: This study involved 551 consecutive patients with (suspected) lung cancer, all candidates for surgical staging, who underwent EUS in 1 of the 5 implementation centers (n = 346) or the single expert center (n = 205). Surgical-pathological staging was the reference standard in case no mediastinal metastases were found. RESULTS: EUS had a sensitivity of 83% versus 82% and accuracy of 89% versus 88% for mediastinal nodal staging (implementation center vs expert center). Surgery was spared because of EUS findings in 51% versus 54% of patients. A single complication occurred in each group. LIMITATION: Surgical-pathological verification of mediastinal nodes was not available in all patients staged negative at EUS. CONCLUSION: Chest physicians who participate in a dedicated training and implementation program for EUS in lung cancer staging can obtain results similar to those of experts for mediastinal nodal staging.

Traditional versus up-front [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography staging of non-small-cell lung cancer: a Dutch cooperative randomized study.

PURPOSE: We investigated whether application of positron emission tomography (PET) immediately after first presentation might simplify staging while maintaining accuracy, as compared with traditional strategy in routine clinical setting. METHODS: At first presentation, patients with a provisional diagnosis of lung cancer without overt dissemination were randomly assigned to traditional work-up (TWU) according to international guidelines or early PET followed by histologic/cytologic verification of lesions, or imaging and follow-up. Patients with [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG) -avid, noncentral tumors without suspicion of mediastinal or distant metastases on PET proceeded directly to thoracotomy. Follow-up in presumed benign lesions was at least 12 months. In patients treated with surgery or neoadjuvant therapy, the quality of staging was measured by comparing the clinical stage to the final stage (combination of peroperative staging and 6 months of follow-up). To investigate test substitution, we analyzed the number of (non)invasive tests to achieve clinical TNM staging, and its associated costs. RESULTS: Between 1999 and 2001, 465 patients (233 TWU, 232 PET) were enrolled at 22 hospitals. The mean (standard deviation) number of procedures to finalize staging was equal in the TWU arm and the PET arm: 7.9 (2.0) v 7.9 (1.9), P = .90, respectively. Mediastinoscopies occurred significantly less often in the PET arm. Agreement between clinical and final stage was good in both arms (kappa = .85 v .78; P = .07). Costs did not differ significantly. CONCLUSION: Up-front 18FDG-PET in patients with (suspected) lung cancer does not reduce the overall number of diagnostic test, but it maintains quality of TNM staging with the use of less invasive surgery.