Significant improvements in mortality among non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cancer patients have been reported over the past 2 decades, according to Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) data. The timing of these improvements suggests that they are primarily a result of new and innovative treatments, however, it has not been directly investigated. In a recent study, researchers utilized the US Flatiron Health database to identify cohorts of 30,076 (54.7% males) non-biomarker positive (EGFR/ALK/ROS1/BRAF) and 652 (45.4% males) ALK+ mNSCLC cancer patients for analysis. Survival in both cohorts improved over time. After adjustment for differences in baseline characteristics, the hazard of death in non-biomarker positive patients diagnosed in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 was observed to be 14%, 13%, 16%, 19%, and 21% lower, respectively, than in those diagnosed in 2012. Upon additionally adjusting for receipt of first line or second line immunotherapy, the decrease in the hazard of death by calendar year was no longer observed, suggesting improvements in survival observed over time may be explained by the introduction of these innovative treatments.
Association between improvements in survival of metastatic NSCLC patients and targeted- and immunotherapy.
