Comparative Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Nivolumab Plus Chemotherapy versus Conventional Comparator Treatments in Resectable Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Literature Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to estimate the relative efficacy of neoadjuvant nivolumab in combination with chemotherapy (neoNIVO + CT) compared to relevant treatments amongst resectable non-metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (rNSCLC) patients. METHODS: Treatment comparisons were based on a network meta-analysis (NMA) using randomized clinical trial data identified via systematic literature review (SLR). The outcomes of interest were event-free survival (EFS) and pathological complete response (pCR). NeoNIVO + CT was compared to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (neoCT), neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (neoCRT), adjuvant chemotherapy (adjCT), and surgery alone (S). Due to the potential for effect modification by stage, all-stage and stage-specific networks were considered. Fixed-effect (FE) and random-effects Bayesian NMA models were run (EFS = hazard ratios [HR]; pCR = odds ratios [OR]; 95% credible intervals [CrI]). RESULTS: Sixty-one RCTs were identified (base case = 9 RCTs [n = 1978 patients]). In the all-stages FE model, neoNIVO + CT had statistically significant EFS improvements relative to neoCT (HR = 0.68 [95% CrI: 0.49, 0.94]), S (0.59 [0.42, 0.82]), adjCT (0.66 [0.45, 0.96]), but not relative to neoCRT (HR = 0.77 [0.52, 1.16]). NeoNIVO + CT (5 RCTs) had statistically significant higher odds of pCR relative to neoCT (OR = 12.53 [5.60, 33.82]) and neoCRT (7.15 [2.31, 24.34]). Stage-specific model findings were consistent. CONCLUSIONS: This NMA signals improved EFS and/or pCR of neoNIVO + CT relative to comparators among patients with rNSCLC.

Clinical and economic outcomes associated with lymph node examination status in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer: a real-world US study using the SEER-Medicare linked database.

Background: Clinical practice guidelines recommend adjuvant therapy for patients with early non-small cell lung cancer (eNSCLC), especially those with lymph node metastasis. This study evaluated the prevalence of lymph node examination and its association with adjuvant treatment rates, overall survival (OS), and healthcare costs among United States (US) Medicare patients with resected eNSCLC. Methods: This retrospective observational cohort study used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registry data linked with Medicare claims data. Eligible patients were aged ≥65 years with newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) stages IA to IIIB [the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Cancer Staging Manual, 7th edition] between January 2010 and December 2017 with surgery ≤1 month prior to or ≤12 months after diagnosis. Patients were grouped by lymph node examination status: no examination (pNX), examination and no metastasis (pN0), or metastasis staging in N1 (pN1) or N2 (pN2). OS and costs were evaluated by examination status and number of lymph node examined. OS was analyzed using extended Cox proportional hazards models for specific time periods and time interaction with examination status, and adjusted for patient characteristics. Adjusted post-surgical healthcare costs per patient per month (PPPM) were analyzed using gamma-log regression models. Results: Among the 14,648 patients included in the study, approximately 11% were pNX, whereas most were pN0 (68%), followed by pN1 (11%) and pN2 (10%). Adjuvant treatment rates were higher for pNX (35%) than pN0 (18%), but lower than pN1 (68%) and pN2 (74%) patients (P<0.001). Unadjusted OS for pNX patients was nearly identical to pN2, and significantly worse compared to pN0 and pN1 (P<0.0001). After adjusting for patient characteristics, pNX patients had higher risk of death relative to pN0 patients (P<0.001). Marginal mean adjusted total costs were comparable across pNX ($15,827 PPPM), pN0 ($12,712 PPPM) and pN1 ($17,089 PPPM), but significantly less for pN0 compared to pN2 ($23,566 PPPM) (P=0.002). Conclusions: Inadequate lymph node examination is associated with underutilization of adjuvant treatment and poor OS in resected NSCLC. In the current era of targeted and immunotherapies, lymph node examination is more important than ever, implicating the need for Quality Improvement practices and multidisciplinary coordination.

Effect of Adding Personalized Instant Messaging Apps to a Brief Smoking Cessation Model in Community Smokers in Hong Kong: Pragmatic Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: While text messaging has proven effective for smoking cessation (SC), engagement in the intervention remains suboptimal. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate whether using more interactive and adaptive instant messaging (IM) apps on smartphones, which enable personalization and chatting with SC advisors, can enhance SC outcomes beyond the provision of brief SC advice and active referral (AR) to SC services. METHODS: From December 2018 to November 2019, we proactively recruited 700 adult Chinese daily cigarette users in Hong Kong. Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio. At baseline, all participants received face-to-face brief advice on SC. Additionally, they were introduced to local SC services and assisted in selecting one. The intervention group received an additional 26 personalized regular messages and access to interactive chatting through IM apps for 3 months. The regular messages aimed to enhance self-efficacy, social support, and behavioral capacity for quitting, as well as to clarify outcome expectations related to cessation. We developed 3 sets of messages tailored to the planned quit date (within 30 days, 60 days, and undecided). Participants in the intervention group could initiate chatting with SC advisors on IM themselves or through prompts from regular messages or proactive inquiries from SC advisors. The control group received 26 SMS text messages focusing on general health. The primary outcomes were smoking abstinence validated by carbon monoxide levels of <4 parts per million at 6 and 12 months after the start of the intervention. RESULTS: Of the participants, 505/700 (72.1%) were male, and 450/648 (69.4%) were aged 40 or above. Planning to quit within 30 days was reported by 500/648 (77.2%) participants, with fewer intervention group members (124/332, 37.3%) reporting previous quit attempts compared with the control group (152/335, 45.4%; P=.04). At the 6- and 12-month follow-ups (with retention rates of 456/700, 65.1%, and 446/700, 63.7%, respectively), validated abstinence rates were comparable between the intervention (14/350, 4.0%, and 19/350, 5.4%) and control (11/350, 3.1% and 21/350, 6.0%) groups. Compared with the control group, the intervention group reported greater utilization of SC services at 12 months (RR 1.26, 95% CI 1.01-1.56). Within the intervention group, engaging in chat sessions with SC advisors predicted better validated abstinence at 6 months (RR 3.29, 95% CI 1.13-9.63) and any use of SC services (RR 1.66, 95% CI 1.14-2.43 at 6 months; RR 1.67, 95% CI 1.26-2.23 at 12 months). CONCLUSIONS: An IM-based intervention, providing support and assistance alongside brief SC advice and AR, did not yield further increases in quitting rates but did encourage the utilization of SC services. Future research could explore whether enhanced SC service utilization leads to improved long-term SC outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03800719; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03800719.

Using preoperative C-reactive protein levels to predict anastomotic leaks and other complications after elective colorectal surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: While postoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) is used routinely as an early indicator of anastomotic leak (AL), preoperative CRP remains to be established as a potential predictor of AL for elective colorectal surgery. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to examine the association between preoperative CRP and postoperative complications including AL. METHOD: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library and CINAHL databases were searched. Studies with reported preoperative CRP values and short-term surgical outcomes after elective colorectal surgery were included. An inverse variance random effects meta-analysis was performed for all meta-analysed outcomes to determine if patients with or without complications and AL differed in their preoperative CRP levels. Risk of bias was assessed with MINORS and certainty of evidence with GRADE. RESULTS: From 1945 citations, 23 studies evaluating 7147 patients were included. Patients experiencing postoperative infective complications had significantly greater preoperative CRP values [eight studies, n = 2421 patients, mean difference (MD) 8.0, 95% CI 3.77-12.23, p < 0.01]. A significant interaction was observed with subgroup analysis based on whether patients were undergoing surgery for inflammatory bowel disease (X2 = 8.99, p < 0.01). Preoperative CRP values were not significantly different between patients experiencing and not experiencing AL (seven studies, n = 3317, MD 2.15, 95% CI -2.35 to 6.66, p = 0.35), nor were they different between patients experiencing and not experiencing overall postoperative morbidity (nine studies, n = 2958, MD 4.54, 95% CI -2.55 to 11.62, p = 0.31) after elective colorectal surgery. CONCLUSION: Higher preoperative CRP levels are associated with increased rates of overall infective complications, but not with AL alone or with overall morbidity in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery.

Accelerated Hypofractionated Chemoradiation Followed by Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy Boost for Locally Advanced, Unresectable Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Importance: Intrathoracic progression remains the predominant pattern of failure in patients treated with concurrent chemoradiation followed by a consolidation immune checkpoint inhibitor for locally advanced, unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Objective: To determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and use of hypofractionated concurrent chemoradiation with an adaptive stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) boost. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was an early-phase, single-institution, radiation dose-escalation nonrandomized controlled trial with concurrent chemotherapy among patients with clinical stage II (inoperable/patient refusal of surgery) or III NSCLC (American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging Manual, seventh edition). Patients were enrolled and treated from May 2011 to May 2018, with a median patient follow-up of 18.2 months. Patients advanced to a higher SABR boost dose if dose-limiting toxic effects (any grade 3 or higher pulmonary, gastrointestinal, or cardiac toxic effects, or any nonhematologic grade 4 or higher toxic effects) occurred in fewer than 33% of the boost cohort within 90 days of follow-up. The current analyses were conducted from January to September 2023. Intervention: All patients first received 4 Gy × 10 fractions followed by an adaptive SABR boost to residual metabolically active disease, consisting of an additional 25 Gy (low, 5 Gy × 5 fractions), 30 Gy (intermediate, 6 Gy × 5 fractions), or 35 Gy (high, 7 Gy × 5 fractions) with concurrent weekly carboplatin/paclitaxel. Main Outcome and Measure: The primary outcome was to determine the MTD. Results: Data from 28 patients (median [range] age, 70 [51-88] years; 16 [57%] male; 24 [86%] with stage III disease) enrolled across the low- (n = 10), intermediate- (n = 9), and high- (n = 9) dose cohorts were evaluated. The protocol-specified MTD was not exceeded. The incidences of nonhematologic acute and late (>90 days) grade 3 or higher toxic effects were 11% and 7%, respectively. No grade 3 toxic effects were observed in the intermediate-dose boost cohort. Two deaths occurred in the high-dose cohort. Two-year local control was 74.1%, 85.7%, and 100.0% for the low-, intermediate-, and high-dose cohorts, respectively. Two-year overall survival was 30.0%, 76.2%, and 55.6% for the low-, intermediate-, and high-dose cohorts, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: This early-phase, dose-escalation nonrandomized controlled trial showed that concurrent chemoradiation with an adaptive SABR boost to 70 Gy in 15 fractions with concurrent chemotherapy is a safe and effective regimen for patients with locally advanced, unresectable NSCLC. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01345851.

Lymph Node Ratio as a Predictor of Survival for Colon Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Lymph node ratio is the number of lymph nodes with evidence of metastases on pathological review compared to the total number of lymph nodes harvested during oncologic resection. Lymph node ratio is a proven predictor of long-term survival. These data have not been meta-analyzed to determine the prognosis associated with different lymph node ratio cut-offs in colon cancer. METHODS: Medline, Embase, and CENTRAL were systematically searched. Articles were included if they compared 5-year overall survival (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS) between different lymph node ratios for patients undergoing oncologic resection for stages I-III colon cancer. Pairwise meta-analyses using inverse variance random effects were performed. RESULTS: From 2587 citations, nine studies with 97,631 patients (female: 51.9%, median age: 61.65 years) were included. A lymph node ratio above .1 resulted in a 49% decrease in the odds of 5-year OS (2 studies; OR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.49-.53, P < .00001). A lymph node ratio above .25 resulted in a 56% decrease in the odds of 5-year OS (3 studies; OR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.43-.45, P < .00001). A lymph node ratio above .5 resulted in a 65% decrease in the odds of 5-year OS (3 studies; OR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.33-.37, P < .00001). CONCLUSIONS: Lymph node ratios from .1 to .5 are effective predictors of 5-year OS for colon cancer. There appears to be an inverse dose-response relationship between lymph node ratio and 5-year OS. Further study is required to determine whether there is an optimal lymph node ratio cut-off for prognostication and whether it can inform which patients may benefit from more aggressive adjuvant therapy and follow-up protocols.

Artificial Intelligence-Powered Assessment of Pathologic Response to Neoadjuvant Atezolizumab in Patients With NSCLC: Results From the LCMC3 Study.

INTRODUCTION: Pathologic response (PathR) by histopathologic assessment of resected specimens may be an early clinical end point associated with long-term outcomes with neoadjuvant therapy. Digital pathology may improve the efficiency and precision of PathR assessment. LCMC3 (NCT02927301) evaluated neoadjuvant atezolizumab in patients with resectable NSCLC and reported a 20% major PathR rate. METHODS: We determined PathR in primary tumor resection specimens using guidelines-based visual techniques and developed a convolutional neural network model using the same criteria to digitally measure the percent viable tumor on whole-slide images. Concordance was evaluated between visual determination of percent viable tumor (n = 151) performed by one of the 47 local pathologists and three central pathologists. RESULTS: For concordance among visual determination of percent viable tumor, the interclass correlation coefficient was 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.84-0.90). Agreement for visually assessed 10% or less viable tumor (major PathR [MPR]) in the primary tumor was 92.1% (Fleiss kappa = 0.83). Digitally assessed percent viable tumor (n = 136) correlated with visual assessment (Pearson r = 0.73; digital/visual slope = 0.28). Digitally assessed MPR predicted visually assessed MPR with outstanding discrimination (area under receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.98) and was associated with longer disease-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.09-0.97, p = 0.033) and overall survival (HR = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.02-1.06, p = 0.027) versus no MPR. Digitally assessed PathR strongly correlated with visual measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Artificial intelligence-powered digital pathology exhibits promise in assisting pathologic assessments in neoadjuvant NSCLC clinical trials. The development of artificial intelligence-powered approaches in clinical settings may aid pathologists in clinical operations, including routine PathR assessments, and subsequently support improved patient care and long-term outcomes.

Neoadjuvant Targeted Therapy in Resectable NSCLC: Current and Future Perspectives.

The standard of care (SoC) for medically operable patients with early-stage (stages I-IIIB) NSCLC is surgery combined with (neo)adjuvant systemic therapy for patients with stages II to IIIB disease and some stage IB or, rarely, chemoradiation (stage III disease with mediastinal lymph node metastases). Despite these treatments, metastatic recurrence is common and associated with poor survival, highlighting the need for systemic therapies that are more effective than the current SoC. After the success of targeted therapy (TT) in patients with advanced NSCLC harboring oncogenic drivers, these agents are being investigated for the perioperative (neoadjuvant and adjuvant) treatment of patients with early-stage NSCLC. Adjuvant osimertinib is the only TT approved for use in the early-stage setting, and there are no approved neoadjuvant TTs. We discuss the importance of comprehensive biomarker testing at diagnosis to identify individuals who may benefit from neoadjuvant targeted treatments and review emerging data from neoadjuvant TT trials. We also address the potential challenges for establishing neoadjuvant TTs as SoC in the early-stage setting, including the identification and validation of early response markers to guide care and accelerate drug development, and discuss safety considerations in the perioperative setting. Initial data indicate that neoadjuvant TTs are effective and well tolerated in patients with EGFR- or ALK-positive early-stage NSCLC. Data from ongoing trials will determine whether neoadjuvant targeted agents will become a new SoC for individuals with oncogene-addicted resectable NSCLC.

The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) 2023 Expert Consensus Document: Staging and multidisciplinary management of patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.

Novel targeted therapy and immunotherapy drugs have recently been approved for use in patients with surgically resectable lung cancer. Accurate staging, early molecular testing, and knowledge of recent trials are critical to optimize oncologic outcomes in these patients.

The majority of patients with resectable incidental lung cancers are ineligible for lung cancer screening.

Objective: The study objective was to determine what proportion of asymptomatic patients had resectable lung cancer detected through lung cancer screening versus incidentally. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of patients who underwent resection for lung cancer between January 2015 and December 2020. We then assessed whether asymptomatic patients with incidentally found lung cancers were eligible for lung cancer screening using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, United States Preventive Services Task Force, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, American College of Chest Physicians, American Cancer Society, and American Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines. Results: Of 539 patients who underwent resection for primary lung cancer, 437 (81%) were asymptomatic and 355 (66%) of these patients had lung cancer found discovered incidentally. Of the 355 patients with incidentally detected lung cancer, 10 were excluded for insufficient data. Of the remaining 345 patients, 110 (32%) would have been eligible for screening using National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, 65 (19%) using 2021 United States Preventive Services Task Force guidelines, 53 (15%) using 2013 United States Preventive Services Task Force guidelines, 64 (19%) using 2022 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services guidelines, 52 (15%) using 2015 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services/American College of Chest Physicians guidelines, and 45 (13%) using American Cancer Society/American Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines. Of the 280 patients who were screen ineligible by 2021 United States Preventive Services Task Force criteria, 143 patients (51%) never smoked, 112 patients (40%) quit smoking more than 15 years ago, 89 patients (32%) did not smoke at least 20 pack-years, and 44 patients (16%) were ineligible due to age. Conclusions: The majority of asymptomatic patients with resectable lung cancers had lung cancer identified incidentally and not through lung cancer screening. Most of these patients were not eligible for screening under current guidelines. This study suggests a need for improved lung cancer screening implementation and further investigation in the identification and assessment of risk factors for lung cancer.

Economic Burden of Recurrence Among Resected Medicare Patients With Early Stage NSCLC.

Introduction: Patients with early NSCLC (eNSCLC) who experience recurrence are associated with worse survival outcomes, but the economic burden of recurrence is not well characterized. This study evaluated the incremental health care resource utilization and costs of recurrence in Medicare patients with resected eNSCLC. Methods: This retrospective observational study used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registry data linked with Medicare claims. Eligible patients were 65 years and older with newly diagnosed NSCLC stages IB to IIIA (American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging Manual, seventh edition) and surgery between January 2010 and December 2017. Continuous enrollment criteria were applied to ensure appropriate data capture. Per patient per month (PPPM) health care resource utilization and all-cause direct costs were compared for patients with versus without recurrence, which was identified from claims data using diagnosis, procedure, or drug codes. Patients were matched (1:1) using exact matching on cancer stage and treatment, and propensity score matching on other characteristics. Results: In total, 2035 (44%) out of 4595 patients had evidence of recurrence. After matching, 1494 patients were included in each cohort. Patients with recurrence had a significantly higher number of inpatient visits (+0.25 PPPM), outpatient visits (+1.10 PPPM), physician services (+3.70 PPPM), and emergency department (ED) visits (+0.25 PPPM; all p < 0.001). The average follow-up PPPM cost in the recurrence cohort was U.S. dollars $7437 and $1118 in the no-recurrence cohort, resulting in a difference of $6319 PPPM (p < 0.001) with inpatient costs as the largest contributor. Conclusions: On the basis of a real-world population, the recurrence among patients with resected eNSCLC is associated with increased health care resource utilization and costs.

Ghost Ileostomy Versus Loop Ileostomy Following Oncologic Resection for Rectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare ghost ileostomy (GI) and loop ileostomy (LI) in patients undergoing oncologic resection for rectal cancer in terms of postoperative morbidity. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: LIs are often fashioned to protect downstream anastomoses following oncologic resection for low rectal cancer at medium-to-high risk of anastomotic leak. More recently, GIs have been utilized in patients with low-to-medium risk anastomoses to reduce the rate of unnecessary stomas. METHODS: Medline, Embase, and CENTRAL were systematically searched. Studies investigating the use of GI in patients undergoing oncologic resection for rectal cancer were included. The primary outcomes were anastomotic leak and postoperative morbidity. Secondary outcomes included stoma-related complications and length of stay (LOS). Pairwise meta-analyses were performed with inverse variance random effects. RESULTS: From 242 citations, 14 studies with 946 patients were included. In comparative studies, 359 patients were undergoing GI and 266 patients were undergoing LI. Pairwise meta-analysis revealed no differences in the prevalence of anastomotic leak (OR 1.40, 95%CI .73-2.68, P = .31), morbidity (OR .76, 95%CI .44-1.30, P = .32), or LOS (SMD -.05, 95%CI -.33-.23, P = .72). International Study Group of Rectal Cancer anastomotic leak grades were as follows: Grade A (GI 0% vs LI 13.3%), Grade B (GI 80.9% vs LI 86.7%), Grade C (GI 19.1% vs LI 0%). CONCLUSIONS: GI appears to be a safe alternative to LI following oncologic resection for rectal cancer. Larger, prospective comparative studies are warranted to evaluate the use of GI in patients deemed to be at low-to-medium risk of anastomotic leak.

Safety of adjuvant atezolizumab after pneumonectomy/bilobectomy in stage II-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer in the randomized phase III IMpower010 trial.

OBJECTIVE: Adjuvant atezolizumab is a standard of care after chemotherapy in completely resected stage II-IIIA programmed death ligand-1 tumor cell 1% or greater non-small cell lung cancer based on results from the phase III IMpower010 study. We explored the safety and tolerability of adjuvant atezolizumab by surgery type in IMpower010. METHODS: Patients had completely resected stage IB-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (Union Internationale Contre le Cancer/American Joint Committee on Cancer, 7th Ed), received up to four 21-day cycles of cisplatin-based chemotherapy, and were randomized 1:1 to receive atezolizumab 1200 mg every 3 weeks (≤16 cycles or 1 year) or best supportive care. Adverse events and clinical characteristics were investigated by surgery type (pneumonectomy/bilobectomy or lobectomy/sleeve lobectomy) in the randomized stage II-IIIA population who received 1 or more atezolizumab dose or with 1 or more postbaseline assessment (safety evaluable) for best supportive care. RESULTS: Overall, 871 patients comprised the safety-evaluable randomized stage II-IIIA population. In the atezolizumab arm, 23% (100/433) received pneumonectomy/bilobectomy and 77% (332/433) received lobectomy/sleeve lobectomy. Atezolizumab discontinuation occurred in 32% (n = 32) and 35% (n = 115) of the pneumonectomy/bilobectomy and lobectomy/sleeve lobectomy groups, respectively. Grade 3/4 adverse events were reported in 21% (n = 21) and 23% (n = 76) of patients in the atezolizumab arms in the pneumonectomy/bilobectomy and lobectomy/sleeve lobectomy groups, respectively. In the atezolizumab arms of the surgery groups, 13% (n = 13) and 17% (n = 55) had an adverse event leading to hospitalization. Atezolizumab-related adverse events leading to hospitalization occurred in 5% (n = 5) and 7% (n = 23) of the surgery groups. CONCLUSIONS: These exploratory findings support use of adjuvant atezolizumab after platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with completely resected stage II-IIIA programmed death ligand-1 tumor cell 1% or more non-small cell lung cancer, regardless of surgery type.

Real-world adjuvant chemotherapy patterns and outcomes among elderly patients with resected early non-small-cell lung cancer in the USA.

Background: This study investigated real-world treatment patterns and overall survival (OS) in early non-small-cell lung cancer patients and the association between OS and time-to-adjuvant-treatment. Materials & methods: This retrospective study using Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results data linked with Medicare claims included resected early non-small-cell lung cancer patients between 2010 and 2015. Unadjusted OS analyses used Kaplan-Meier curves; adjusted OS analyses used extended Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Only 54-71% of stage II-IIIA patients received any adjuvant treatment. Adjusted risk of death was higher when starting treatment outside 6-8 weeks after surgery (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Improved systemic therapy in the adjuvant chemotherapy setting is needed.

Lung cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in the USA. Most lung cancers are a type called non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients with NSCLC that has not spread to other parts of the body generally have surgery and may receive treatment before surgery, after surgery or both to help fight the cancer. It is not clear how often people receive treatment before or after surgery. It is important to know how patients are being treated because it helps clinicians decide how to use the new treatments that are becoming available. This study used a large database of more than 7000 people aged 65 years and older with lung cancer in the USA to understand how they are treated. More than a third of patients had stage IA NSCLC (39%), followed by stage IB (24%), stage II (20%), stage IIIA (15%) and stage IIIB (2%). Most people had surgery (64%) and some received another treatment after surgery (27%). That treatment was most often about 2 months of chemotherapy, on average. The study also tried to understand how the timing of treatment may have been important for their survival. People who received treatment after surgery lived the longest if they received that treatment about 6­8 weeks after the surgery. Overall, the study showed that a substantial proportion of people do not receive treatment for their NSCLC after surgery, even though treatment after surgery is recommended by medical guidelines. There is a need for more effective treatments for these patients, and when those treatments are given may be important for their survival.