Publication
Does progress achieved in the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer reach the elderly population? A cohort study from a cancer centre from Eastern Switzerland
Journal Paper/Review - Jan 21, 2020
Schmid Sabine, Suipyte Jorune, Herrmann Christian, Mousavi Mohsen, Hitz Felicitas, Früh Martin
Units
PubMed
Doi
Citation
Type
Journal
Publication Date
Issn Electronic
Pages
Brief description/objective
OBJECTIVE
Treatment options for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been evolving. The goal of our study was to evaluate whether novel therapeutics are used in the elderly population and improve outcomes to a similar extent as in young patients.
METHODS
We enrolled patients registered in the Cancer Registry of Eastern Switzerland and grouped them into four cohorts: Elderly patients aged ≥70 years diagnosed 2005-2007 and 2015-2016 (elderly cohorts 1,2) were compared to cohorts of patients < 70 years diagnosed during the same time periods (young cohorts 1,2).
RESULTS
499 individuals were analysed. Median cancer-specific survival in the elderly cohorts 1 and 2 was 3.9 months and 6.3 months, respectively, and 8.0 and 12.7 months in the young cohorts 1 and 2. 12-month survival significantly improved over ten years only in younger patients (35.6% and 54.9%), however not in the elderly cohorts (20% vs. 35%). Proportion of patients receiving any line of systemic treatment remained lower in the elderly cohorts (53% vs. 78%).
CONCLUSION
Despite the increase in median cancer-specific survival in both cohorts, a significant and clinically meaningful improvement of 12-month cancer-specific survival was only seen in young patients. The adoption of novel treatment approaches is lagging behind in the elderly population.