Advanced Lung Cancer Patients Do Not Get Treatment That Might Help

A new study reports that many patients in the U.S. with advanced lung cancer do not receive treatments that could possibly extend their lives. Researchers from Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center of the University of California analyzed data from 1998 to 2012 from National Cancer Database. It was found out that one in every five patients afflicted with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) did not have any treatment. This included surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
According to the researchers, many of the untreated patients were women, elderly, low-income and uninsured and minorities. The reasons why patents went untreated was unclear. According to Dr. Elizabeth David, an assistant professor of surgery, they were able to identify a large number of untreated patients who were similar to patients who received treatment.
According to the researchers, the overall survival rates of patients who were untreated with all stages NSCLC were significantly lower than for those who had received therapy. Treatment did seem important to outcomes of the patients, even when the lung cancer was in its advanced or late stages.
Median survival rates among patients with stage 3 cancer that received radiation and chemotherapy was 16.5 months. In contrast, those who did not receive any form of treatment, the median survival was only 6.1 months. Median survival for patients with stage 4 disease was 9.3 months for those who had chemotherapy and only 2 months for those who had not received therapy. In the U.S., non-small cell lung cancer is responsible for an annual 158,000 deaths, more than any other type of cancer according to an article by UPI.
Dr. David believes that factors like the stigma that surrounds a lung cancer diagnosis, age, race and insurance status may play a role in the decision of not pursuing treatment. Dr. Nagashree Seetharamu, a medical oncologist at the Northwell Health Cancer Institute in Lake Success, N.Y. states that the study suggests that some patients may be missing out on treatment. However, she says that the study does have some flaws.
According to Dr. Seetharamu, the sources of the study’s data which comes from the National Cancer Database may lack details that might explain physicians’ decision making involving the treatment of patients. She said the study does not seem to take into account the new biologic drugs that are different from standard chemotherapy as reported in an article by Health Day.