Treatment patterns and long‐term survival outcomes for patients with stage III non‐small cell lung cancer: A retrospective study

AIM: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Australia with poor long-term survival outcomes. Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a highly heterogenous group with diverse tumor characteristics and multiple, possible treatment options. We present retrospective data on patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and long-term outcomes in stage III NSCLC patients treated at a single cancer center in New South Wales, Australia. METHODS: Stage III NSCLC patients were identified from the 'Nepean Cancer Research Biobank'. Patient demographics, cancer-related information, and long-term follow-up data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 88 patients were eligible for analysis with 61% of them diagnosed as stage IIIA, 35% IIIB, and 4% IIIC. Induction chemotherapy was administered in 20% of the patients. Overall, 48% of the study population underwent surgery, and 38% underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Both median progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) were superior in stage IIIA patients in comparison to stage IIIB (and IIIC) patients (22 vs. 11 months, p = .018; and 58 vs. 19 months, p = .048, respectively). Patients who were younger (<65 years old), good Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS <2), and females had better prognosis on univariate analysis. There was a nonstatistically significant trend toward better median OS with CCRT in comparison to surgery (58 vs. 37 months, p = .87). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term outcomes remain poor, and hence better treatment strategies are urgently needed in stage III NSCLC. Equally, more robust, prospective studies would help delineate the optimal treatment modality in these patients.