Treatment Patterns and Overall Survival among Patients with Unresectable, Stage III Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Aim: To analyze treatment patterns and overall survival (OS) across time (2009–2014) among patients with unresected, stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients & methods: Stage III NSCLC patients aged ≥65 years who initiated therapy were identified using SEER-Medicare data. Results: Among 4564 patients, 84% received chemotherapy (with or without radiotherapy), and 59% received chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Carboplatin + paclitaxel was the most frequent regimen. Median (interquartile range) OS among chemotherapy patients was 13.2 (6.0–28.9) months, and 14.8 (6.7–33.4) months among CRT patients. Among CRT patients, there was no difference in OS across years of CRT initiation. Conclusion: OS remained static across 2009–2014, indicating stagnancy in clinical outcomes for stage III NSCLC patients and a need for more effective therapeutic options.