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

Units
PubMed
Doi

Citation
Schmid S, Suipyte J, Herrmann C, Mousavi M, Hitz F, Früh M. 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. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl) 2020; 29:e13206.
Type
Journal Paper/Review (English)
Journal
Eur J Cancer Care (Engl) 2020; 29
Publication Date
Jan 21, 2020
Issn Electronic
1365-2354
Pages
e13206
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.