First-Line Treatment Outcomes in Metastatic NSCLC: Real-World Patterns
Posted: Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Just half of patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) received second-line therapy, making the choice of first-line therapy critical for survival and treatment outcomes, according to a retrospective cohort study. These findings, originally slated for presentation at the 2020 NCCN Annual Conference (Abstract HSR20-108) and published in the JNCCN–Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, indicated that nab-paclitaxel may offer the most beneficial early treatment option for patients. Ali McBride, MS, PharmD, of the University of Arizona, Tucson, and colleagues stressed the importance of administering a first-line treatment that allows for longer time on treatment and delayed disease progression.
To describe real-world treatment patterns and outcomes, the research team retrospectively analyzed 3,533 patients with metastatic NSCLC using the IBM MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental Claims Databases. Eligible patients were treated with nab-paclitaxel (10.3%), solvent-based paclitaxel (74.6%), or PD-L1–based first-line therapy (15.1%). The median follow-up was 363 days.
Overall, 18.2% of patients received first-line therapy for at least 6 months, and the median duration of treatment was 126 days. The majority of the patient pool (92.2%) stopped first-line treatment during follow-up, and 2.8% of patients died. Approximately half of the patients received second-line therapy. For patients treated with nab-paclitaxel and solvent-based paclitaxel, the median duration of treatment was 143 and 108 days, respectively. The proportion of patients who remained on first-line therapy was higher for those who received nab-paclitaxel than for those treated with solvent-based paclitaxel therapy regimens (23.5% vs. 11.7%). The mean time to next treatment was also longer with nab-paclitaxel than with solvent-based paclitaxel (210 days vs. 181 days).
Disclosure: Dr. Huggar, Dr. Copher, and Dr. Tian reported they are employees of Celgene. Dr. McBride has served as an advisory board member for Bristol Myers Squibb, and speaker and consultant for Celgene. Ms. Tabah reported no conflicts of interest.
