RESUMO
Aim: To report the treatment patterns of advanced/metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in China from a physician survey (CancerMPact®). Materials & methods: A total of 206 Chinese physicians from 27 cities in urban mainland China reported on their treatment of NSCLC in September 2021. Results: Platinum doublets received 70.5% utilization for squamous NSCLC with PD-L1 expression <1% in first-line, whereas nonsquamous NSCLC was treated with platinum doublets (35.2%) or bevacizumab with platinum doublets (35.3%). Checkpoint inhibitors were utilized in >50% of all PD-L1-positive NSCLC cases. Driver-mutated NSCLC was most frequently treated with targeted therapy or platinum-based combinations. Conclusion: NSCLC treatment in China varies by histology, PD-L1 status and driver mutations, illustrating the complexity of decision-making for Chinese physicians as treatment markets expand.
The most common type of lung cancer is called non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). When lung cancer spreads beyond the lung, it is called advanced. Doctors in China who treat advanced NSCLC were identified. They were surveyed in September 2021 and asked about how they treat their patients. The survey included 206 doctors from 27 cities in China. There are many drugs available for NSCLC. This means that it can be hard for doctors to decide how to treat their patients. The doctors in China often reported using multiple drugs together, instead of using only one drug. One type of drug that can be used to treat NSCLC is called a checkpoint inhibitor (CPI). The doctors reported that they often used CPIs to treat their patients. They also reported that they were more likely to use CPIs made in China rather than CPIs that were made outside of China. Before receiving treatment, most patients were tested for biomarkers. Biomarkers can tell doctors important information about cancers. Doctors can use biomarkers to help decide which treatments to offer their patients. In China, the doctors often did use certain drugs based on patient biomarkers. This choice often depended on the specific biomarker that the patient had. There are many different factors for doctors to consider when treating NSCLC. More and more drugs are becoming available to use in China. While this is good news for patients with cancer, treatment decisions are becoming more complex for doctors.