Over Half of Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Are Untested for Biomarkers

Over 50% of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) are untested for biomarkers, according to a study published in Cancer Medicine.

“Characteristics of patients in clinical trials may differ from those of real-world patients. Our objective was to describe biomarker testing and outcomes among patients with aNSCLC in a real-world setting,” the researchers wrote.

In this retrospective cohort study, researchers used the TEMPUS oncology dataset to assess 9,540 patients ≥18 years old, diagnosed with stage IIIB/C or IV NSCLC from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2020. The investigators noted that patient characteristics associated with biomarker testing were evaluated in patients with positive biomarkers using univariate logistic regression models, while Cox proportional hazard modeling was used to estimate survival.

The findings showed that 41.7% had biomarker testing, and 2.158 had a positive biomarker result. The investigators found that men, Black patients, patients with squamous or unknown histology (vs non-squamous histology), and patients with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2+ were less likely to undergo biomarker testing. Moreover, the results showed that the almost 56% of patients with positive biomarkers who received NCCN-recommended treatment options  had a notably longer median overall survival(hazard ratio [HR], 0.84; 95% CI: 0.75-0.95) and real-world progression-free survival (HR, 0.68; 95% CI: 0.62-0.75).

The researchers concluded that adherence to targeted treatment “improves real-world clinical outcomes among patients with aNSCLC and positive biomarkers.”