Variations in the use of surgical resection, radical radiotherapy and chemotherapy across England are having a significant effect on survival among patients with lung cancer. Increasing treatment rates to the current highest levels would give more than 800 patients annually a clinically a clinically relevant extension of survival, according to new research published in Thorax.
The study, led by King’s College London, analysed cancer registration data relating to 176,225 lung cancer patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2014. While survival improved generally over the study period, the data showed that the use of active treatment varied between geographical areas, with inter-quintile ranges of 9-17 per cent for surgical resection, 4-13 per cent for radical radiotherapy, and 22-35 per cent for chemotherapy.
At two years, the authors estimated there were 188 potentially avoidable deaths annually for surgical resection, and 373 for radical radiotherapy, if all treated proportions were the same as in the highest quintiles. At the six months, 318 deaths per year could have been postponed if chemotherapy use for all patients was as in the highest quintile. The results were robust after adjustments for age, sex, socio-economic status, performance status and co-morbidity.
“If these results are appreciated among clinicians in lung cancer multi-disciplinary teams, and treatment rates are increased towards the currently highest levels, more than 800 lung cancer patients each year could have a clinically relevant extension of their lives,” the authors said.
