Patterns of care for non‐small cell lung cancer patients in Belgium: A population‐based study |
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| Authors: | L. Verleye MD C. De Gendt MSc PhD F. Vrijens MSc V. Schillemans MSc C. Camberlin MSc G. Silversmit MSc S. Stordeur PhD E. Van Eycken MD C. Dubois MSc J. Robays MD PhD I. Wauters MD J. P. Van Meerbeeck MD PhD |
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| Affiliation: | 1. KCE ‐ Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre, Brussels, Belgium;2. Belgian Cancer Registry, Brussels, Belgium;3. Department of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospitals KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium;4. Center for Oncological Research, University of Antwerp, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp Edegem, Belgium;5. Thoraic Oncology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium |
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| Abstract: | Guidelines recommend surgery for Stage I‐II, chemoradiation for Stage III and systemic therapy for Stage IV non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, patient related factors and patient preferences influence treatment decisions. We investigated patterns of care for Belgian NSCLC patients in 2010‐2011, based on population‐based data from the Belgian Cancer Registry and administrative databases. The relationship between patient characteristics, institutional diagnostic volume, type of treatment and survival was investigated. Overall, 20.8% of patients received no oncological treatment. 59% and 22.1% of Stage I‐II patients received primary surgery or (chemo)radiation respectively. 34% of Stage III patients received chemoradiation and 17% of Stage IIIA patients had surgery. 70% of Stage IV patients received chemotherapy or targeted therapy. Moderate variability between centres was observed. For Stage IV, systemic therapy was less frequently used in higher volume centres and 1‐year survival was lower in centres that had ≥ 50 new patients yearly. Although not all NSCLC patients received treatment as ideally recommended by guidelines, these results do not necessarily represent poor quality of care as patient characteristics and preferences need to be taken into account. Treatment options targeted towards patients with co‐morbidity or unfit patients is warranted to improve outcomes of all NSCLC patients. |
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| Keywords: | cancer registry hospital volume non‐small cell lung cancer patterns of care population‐based |
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