Brain metastases in non-small cell lung cancer patients on epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors: symptom and economic burden

Comparison of partitioned survival modeling with state transition modeling approaches with or without consideration of brain metastasis: a case study of Osimertinib versus pemetrexed-platinum

BACKGROUND

The partitioned survival model (PSM) and the state transition model (STM) are widely used in cost-effectiveness analyses of anticancer drugs. Using different modeling approaches with or without consideration of brain metastasis, we compared the quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) estimates of Osimertinib and pemetrexed-platinum in advanced non-small cell lung cancer with epidermal growth factor receptor mutations.

METHODS

We constructed three economic models using parametric curves fitted to patient-level data from the National Health Insurance Review and Assessment claims database from 2009 to 2020. PSM and 3-health state transition model (3-STM) consist of three health states: progression-free, post-progression, and death. The 5-health state transition model (5-STM) has two additional health states (brain metastasis with continuing initial therapy, and with subsequent therapy). Time-dependent transition probabilities were calculated in the state transition models. The incremental life-year (LY) and QALY between the Osimertinib and pemetrexed-platinum cohorts for each modeling approach were estimated over seven years.

RESULTS

The PSM and 3-STM produced similar incremental LY (0.889 and 0.899, respectively) and QALY (0.827 and 0.840, respectively). However, 5-STM, which considered brain metastasis as separate health states, yielded a slightly higher incremental LY (0.910) but lower incremental QALY (0.695) than PSM and 3-STM.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that incorporating additional health states such as brain metastases into economic models can have a considerable impact on incremental QALY estimates. To ensure appropriate health technology assessment decisions, comparison and justification of different modeling approaches are recommended in the economic evaluation of anticancer drugs.

The effectiveness of blood-activating and stasis-transforming traditional Chinese medicines (BAST) in lung cancer progression-a comprehensive review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Blood-activating and stasis-transforming traditional Chinese medicines (BAST) are a class of herbs that have the effect of dilating blood vessels and dispersing stagnation. Modern pharmaceutical research has demonstrated that they are capable of improving hemodynamics and micro-flow, resist thrombosis and promote blood flow. BAST contain numerous active ingredients, which can theoretically regulate multiple targets at the same time and have a wide range of pharmacological effects in the treatment of diseases including human cancers. Clinically, BAST have minimal side effects and can be used in combination with Western medicine to improve patients' quality of life, lessen adverse effects and minimize the risk of recurrence and metastasis of cancers.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

We aimed to summarize the research progression of BAST on lung cancer in the past five years and present a prospect for the future. Particularly, this review further analyzes the effects and molecular mechanisms that BAST inhibit the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Relevant studies about BSAT were collected from PubMed and Web of science.

RESULTS

Lung cancer is one of the malignant tumors with the highest mortality rate. Most patients with lung cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage and are highly susceptible to metastasis. Recent studies have shown that BAST, a class of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with the function of opening veins and dispersing blood stasis, significantly improve hemodynamics and microcirculation, prevent thrombosis and promote blood flow, and thereby inhibiting the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer. In the current review, we analyzed 51 active ingredients extracted from BAST. It was found that BAST and their active ingredients contribute to the prevention of invasion and metastasis of lung cancer through multiple mechanisms, such as regulation of EMT process, specific signaling pathway and metastasis-related genes, tumor blood vessel formation, immune microenvironment and inflammatory response of tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

BSAT and its active ingredients have showed promising anticancer activity and significantly inhibit the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer. A growing number of studies have realized their potential clinical significance in the therapy of lung cancer, which will provide substantial evidences for the development of new TCM for lung cancer therapy.

Economic burden of brain metastases in non-small cell lung cancer patients in South Korea: A retrospective cohort study using nationwide claims data

Brain metastases (BM) are common in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the pure economic burden of BM is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of BM on healthcare costs and resource utilization in patients with NSCLC by comparing patients with and without BM. This was a retrospective cohort analysis of South Korean health insurance review and assessment claims data. Patients with stage IIIB or IV NSCLC were identified (March 1, 2013 to February 28, 2018). We compared their two-year and per-patient-per-month (PPPM) healthcare costs and resource utilization with 1:3 propensity score-matched patients without the condition. A generalized linear model was used to estimate the impact of BM and other covariates on healthcare costs. After propensity score matching with the 33 402 newly diagnosed cases of stage IIIB or IV NSCLC, 3435 and 10 305 patients were classified as having or not having BM, respectively. Mean healthcare costs were significantly greater in patients with BM for both the two years (US$ 44 692 vs. US$ 32 230, p < .0001) and PPPM (US$ 3510 vs. US$ 2573, p < .0001). The length of hospital stay was longer in patients with BM (79.15 vs. 69.41 days for two years, p < .0001; 7.69 vs. 6.86 days PPPM, p < .0001), and patients with BM had more outpatient visits (50.61 vs. 46.43 times for two years, p < .0001; 3.64 vs. 3.40 times PPPM costs, p < .0001). The costs of drugs, radiology/radiotherapy, and admission comprised the majority of PPPM costs and were higher in patients with BM. The generalized linear model analysis suggested that patients with BM had significantly increased healthcare costs (by 1.29-fold, 95% confidence interval 1.26–1.32). BM is a significant economic burden for patients with NSCLC. Therefore, it is important to prevent BM in patients with NSCLC to reduce their economic burden.

VEGF and Immune Checkpoint Inhibition for Prevention of Brain Metastases: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in preventing the development of brain metastases (BMs).

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Database, and Google Scholar between January 1, 2000, and June 1, 2020. Included studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of adults with systemic cancer that reported the incidence of BMs treated with and without VEGF inhibitors, as well as observational studies of adults with systemic cancer that reported the incidence of BMs treated with and without ICIs (no RCTs addressed the ICI question). Pooled relative risks (RR) were computed with a binary random-effects model.

RESULTS

A search for VEGF and incidence of new BMs revealed 7 studies (6,212 patients with breast, colon, and non-small-cell lung cancer). Meta-analysis showed a lower incidence of new BMs compared to control (RR 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.56-0.89, p = 0.003). A search for ICIs and incidence of new BMs yielded 8 studies (732 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer or metastatic melanoma) in which ICIs were used as an adjunct to radiosurgery. Meta-analysis showed a lower incidence of out-of-treatment-field BMs with ICIs compared to controls at 1 year (RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.49-0.88, p = 0.005). The overall Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations score for the evidence evaluating the role of bevacizumab and ICIs was high and moderate, respectively.

DISCUSSION

VEGF and ICIs may have a role in prophylaxis against BM in patients with solid tumors.

How to discriminate non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases from an Italian administrative database? A retrospective, secondary data use study for evaluating a novel algorithm performance

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate an algorithm developed for identifying non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) candidates among patients with lung cancer with a diagnosis International Classification of Diseases: ninth revision (ICD-9) 162.x code in administrative databases. Algorithm could then be applied for identifying the NSCLC population in order to assess the appropriateness and quality of care of the NSCLC care pathway.

DESIGN

Algorithm discrimination capacity to select both NSCLC or non-NSCLC was carried out on a sample for which electronic health record (EHR) diagnosis was available. A bivariate frequency distribution and other measures were used to evaluate algorithm's performances. Associations between possible factors potentially affecting algorithm accuracy were investigated.

SETTING

Administrative databases used in a specific geographical area of Emilia-Romagna region, Italy.

PARTICIPANTS

Algorithm was carried out on patients aged >18 years, with a lung cancer diagnosis from January to December 2017 and resident in Emilia-Romagna region who have been hospitalised at IRST or in one of the hospitals placed in the Forlì-Cesena area and for which EHR diagnosis data were available.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Overall accuracy, positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values, sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios and diagnostic OR were calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 430 patients were identified as lung cancer cases based on ICD-9 diagnosis. Focusing on the total incident cases (n=314), the algorithm had an overall accuracy of 82.8% with a sensitivity of 88.8%. The analysis confirmed a high level of PPV (90.2%), but lower specificity (53.7%) and NPV (50%). Higher length of stay seemed to be associated with a correct classification. Hospitalisation regimen and a supply of antiblastic therapy seemed to increase the level of PPV.

CONCLUSION

The algorithm demonstrated a strong validity for identifying NSCLC among patients with lung cancer in hospital administrative databases and can be used to investigate the quality of cancer care for this population.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04676321.

European and US Real-World Treatment Patterns in Patients with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutation-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Retrospective Medical Record Review

BACKGROUND

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are the preferred first-line (1L) therapy for EGFR mutation-positive (EGFRm) advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to describe real-world treatment patterns and T790M testing practices in patients with 1L disease progression (Europe/USA) following treatment with first- or second-generation EGFR-TKIs.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, non-interventional medical record review of patients with EGFRm locally advanced/metastatic NSCLC from routine clinical practice (EGFR-TKI initiation: 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2017; follow-up: last available medical record). Endpoints were demographic/clinical characteristics, incidence of central nervous system (CNS) metastases/leptomeningeal disease, second-line (2L) treatment, T790M mutation testing, and osimertinib treatment prevalence.

RESULTS

Among 469 patients, 73% (n = 341/469) progressed on 1L EGFR-TKI treatment. Of those who progressed, 74% (n = 252/341) were tested for T790M, with 50% (n = 126/252) testing positive; 75% (n = 94/126) of T790M-positive patients received osimertinib (mostly 2L). Of the patients with progression, 24% (n = 83/341) did not receive 2L treatment, and 88% (n = 73/83) of these patients died. At diagnosis of advanced disease, 9% of patients (n = 41) had CNS metastases; at EGFR-TKI initiation, 14% of patients (n = 68) had CNS metastases. Over the study period, 11% of patients (n = 42) developed CNS metastases not detected at NSCLC diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Rates of resistance mutation testing and subsequent utilization of recommended 2L therapies could be improved. As more targeted therapies are developed, it will be crucial to improve the molecular testing rates to ensure patients receive appropriate, effective, and timely treatment.

Treatment Patterns in Patients with Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors: Analysis of US Insurance Claims Databases

Background

Most patients with epidermal growth factor receptor mutation-positive (EGFRm) non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) acquire resistance to first-line (1L) first- or second-generation (1G/2G) EGFR-TKIs; therefore, it is important to optimize 1L treatment to improve patient outcomes.

Objective

To retrospectively examine treatment patterns in locally advanced/metastatic NSCLC using MarketScan^® Commercial and Medicare Supplemental Databases (all US census regions).

Patients and methods

Adults with a lung cancer diagnosis code between 1 January 2015–31 March 2018 were analyzed from diagnosis (index) through a variable-length follow-up. Patients had ≥ 1 pharmacy claim for 1G/2G EGFR-TKIs on or within 60 days post-index. Data were stratified by presence or absence of central nervous system (CNS) metastases (30 days pre-index through study end).

Results

578 patients were included (median age 63 years, 64% female). Median follow-up was 13.5 months. The most frequently prescribed 1L EGFR-TKI was erlotinib (414/578, 72%). Median time to 1L treatment discontinuation was 8.2 (95% confidence interval (CI) 6.9, 9.0) months in patients diagnosed with CNS metastases at any time, and 7.7 (95% CI 6.9, 8.9) months in patients without CNS metastases. 270/578 patients (47%) discontinued 1L EGFR-TKIs; 209/270 (77%) initiated second-line (2L) therapy, most frequently osimertinib (96/209, 46%).

Conclusions

In an analysis of US claims data, nearly half of patients discontinued 1L EGFR-TKIs, and 46% who initiated 2L received osimertinib. As nearly a quarter of patients who discontinued 1L EGFR-TKIs did not receive 2L treatment, this study highlights the need for optimal 1L treatment in EGFRm locally advanced/metastatic NSCLC.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40801-021-00272-5.

Tumor metastasis has a significant relationship with the development of acute ischemic stroke in Chinese cancer patients: a retrospective study

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to analyze the relationship between tumor metastasis and acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in Chinese cancer patients.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 119 cancer patients with AIS and 152 cancer patients without AIS. Basic information was collected and tumor metastasis status was determined for all patients.

RESULTS

The whole cohort had a median age of 59 (49-69) years with 150 men (55.4%). There were 98 patients (36.2%) with tumor metastasis. Patients with AIS had significantly more males, tumor metastasis, lung cancer, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, higher age, D-dimer, international normalized ratio, prothrombin time, prothrombin activity, and thrombin time, while they had significantly lower levels of hemoglobin, red blood cells, and hematocrit. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, AIS was significantly and positively associated with age, tumor metastasis, D-dimer, and thrombin time. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, tumor metastasis, AIS, D-dimer, thrombin time, and fibrinogen were significantly and positively associated with worse prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that tumor metastasis was positively and independently associated with AIS in Chinese cancer patients, suggesting that tumor metastasis has a significant relationship with the development of AIS. Additionally, tumor metastasis and AIS had negative independent effects on the prognosis of patients.

Real-world impact of brain metastases on healthcare utilization and costs in patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with EGFR-TKIs in the US

BACKGROUND

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with brain metastases (BM) is difficult to treat and associated with poor survival. This study assessed the impact of BM on healthcare-related utilization and costs (HRUC) among patients receiving epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Adults newly-diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC, initiating first-/second-generation EGFR-TKI treatment, with BM or no BM (NBM), were identified retrospectively from IBM MarketScan healthcare claims databases (2013-2017). HRUC were measured during the variable-length follow-up period. Generalized linear models assessed the impact of BM on total healthcare costs, standardized to 2017 US$.

RESULTS

Overall, 222 BM and 280 NBM patients were included, with a mean duration of follow-up of 14 months. Adjusted NSCLC-related and all-cause costs over average follow-up were 1.2 times higher among BM patients (Δ$5,640 and Δ$6,366, respectively; p <0.05); differences were driven primarily by radiation treatment and radiology. More than two times more BM than NBM patients received NSCLC-related radiation treatment, in both inpatient (15.3% vs 6.8%; p <0.05) and outpatient settings (87.8% vs 37.5%; p <0.05). Per-patient per-month (PPPM) radiation costs were also higher among BM patients, both inpatient ($796 vs $464, p =0.172) and outpatient ($2,443 vs $747, p <0.05). All-cause PPPM radiology visits (2.0 vs 1.3) and associated costs ($3,824 vs $1,621) were higher among BM patients (both p <0.05).

CONCLUSION

NSCLC-related HRUC, especially those attributable to radiation treatment, were higher among patients with BM. Future research should compare the potential for CNS-active EGFR-TKIs vs first-/second-generation EGFR-TKIs combined with radiotherapy to reduce HRUC.

Modeling and comparing data mining algorithms for prediction of recurrence of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common invasive cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in women. and regrettably, this rate is increasing every year. One of the aspects of all cancers, including breast cancer, is the recurrence of the disease, which causes painful consequences to the patients. Moreover, the practical application of data mining in the field of breast cancer can help to provide some necessary information and knowledge required by physicians for accurate prediction of breast cancer recurrence and better decision-making. The main objective of this study is to compare different data mining algorithms to select the most accurate model for predicting breast cancer recurrence. This study is cross-sectional and data gathering of this research performed from June 2018 to June 2019 from the official statistics of Ministry of Health and Medical Education and the Iran Cancer Research Center for patients with breast cancer who had been followed for a minimum of 5 years from February 2014 to April 2019, including 5471 independent records. After initial pre-processing in dataset and variables, seven new and conventional data mining algorithms have been applied that each one represents one kind of data mining approach. Results show that the C5.0 algorithm possibly could be a helpful tool for the prediction of breast cancer recurrence at the stage of distant recurrence and nonrecurrence, especially in the first to third years. also, LN involvement rate, Her2 value, Tumor size, free or closed tumor margin were found to be the most important features in our dataset to predict breast cancer recurrence.

Real-world disease burden and outcomes of brain metastases in EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer

Aim: To evaluate the real-world impact of brain metastases (BM) among patients with EGFR mutation-positive (EGFRm) metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials & methods: This retrospective, observational matched cohort electronic health record study assessed adults with EGFRm metastatic NSCLC with/without BM. Results: Among 402 patients split equally between both cohorts (±BM), the majority were Caucasian (69%), female (65%) and with adenocarcinoma (92%). Overall symptom burden and ancillary support service use were higher and median overall survival from metastatic diagnosis was significantly shorter in BM patients (11.9 vs 16 months; p = 0.017). Conclusion: BM in EGFRm NSCLC patients can negatively impact clinical outcomes. New targeted therapies that can penetrate the blood-brain barrier should be considered for treating these patients.

Cost analysis of the management of brain metastases in patients with advanced ALK+ NSCLC: alectinib versus crizotinib

Aim

To estimate management cost of NSCLC ALK+ patients with and without brain metastasis (BM), and to compare annual costs in patients treated with alectinib or crizotinib.

Methods

Management cost/year (€ 2018) in patients with and without BM was estimated with disaggregated resource consumption provided by local oncologists, including medical visits, hospitalizations, diagnostic/laboratory tests, imaging techniques and surgical procedures. The comparison of costs/year with alectinib and crizotinib, considered the cumulative 12-month incidence of BM in ALEX trial (9.4 and 41.4%, respectively).

Results

Management cost was €6173.42/patient-year without BM and €21,637.50/patient-year with BM. With alectinib, average cost/patient was lower than crizotinib (€4948.51/patient-year).

Conclusion

Prevention of BM with alectinib may result in reductions of cost/year in the management of advanced ALK+ NSCLC.

Micropapillary pattern is associated with the development of brain metastases and the reduction of survival time in EGFR-mutation lung adenocarcinoma patients with surgery

OBJECTIVE

The role of micropapillary pattern (MIP) in EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients with brain metastases (BM) after complete surgical resection still remains unclear. Therefore, a retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the role of MIP in those patients.

METHODS

This study included 332 stage I-III patients with EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma and complete resection. Patients were classified in four groups: the MIP-positive patients without BM development, the MIP-negative patients without BM development, the MIP-positive patients with BM development and the MIP-negative patients with BM development. Intracranial disease-free survival (iDFS), systemic disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated.

RESULTS

The median OS in the whole group was 70 months. The patients with MIP show inferior DFS (13 months vs. 22 months; P < 0.001) and OS (56 months vs. 74 months; P < 0.001). Furthermore, BM development was more likely to be found in patients with MIP (P = 0.001). In addition, the MIP-positive patients showed a significantly shorter iDFS compared with MIP-negative patients (14.5 months vs. 26 months; P < 0.001). Furthermore, the MIP-positive patients had significantly inferior iDFS in both BM as first line development groups (13 months vs. 19 months; P < 0.001) and BM as non-first line development groups (18 months vs. 33 months; P = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

MIP was related to the earlier recurrence and shortened survival time. In addition, MIP was an independent poor prognostic factor for the increase of BM rate and the shortened time of BM development after surgery.

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) Combined with Chemotherapy Delay Brain Metastasis in Patients with EGFR-Mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Whether epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) combined with chemotherapy can delay the occurrence of brain metastasis (BM) is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate whether EGFR-TKIs combined with chemotherapy can delay BM and decrease the incidence of BM as initial progression.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The data of 100 patients with EGFR-mutant advanced lung adenocarcinoma were retrospectively reviewed. The patients had no BM at initial diagnosis, and BM occurred during the treatment. Patients received EGFR-TKI only or EGFR-TKI combined with chemotherapy. Intracranial progression-free survival (iPFS), systemic progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated.

RESULTS

The overall median OS was 39 months (95% confidence interval (CI), 35.6-42.4 months). The median OS of EGFR-TKI combined with chemotherapy and EGFR-TKI only are 41 months (95% CI 35.5-46.5 months) and 39 months (95% CI 36.8-41.2 months), respectively. Patients in the combination treatment group had longer PFS (16 vs. 10 months; P = 0.030) and iPFS (21 vs. 14 months; P = 0.026). Further, as initial progression, fewer patients developed BM in the combined treatment group compared with the EGFR-TKI-only group (30.6% vs. 52.9%, P = 0.002) with a hazard ratio of 0.64 (95% CI 0.43-0.96). After controlling for significant covariables in a multivariable model, the different treatment strategies were independently associated with improved iPFS.

CONCLUSIONS

In this retrospective analysis, EGFR-TKIs combined with chemotherapy could improve PFS. Further, the combined treatment could delay BM occurrence and decrease the incidence of BM as initial progression.

Brain metastases

An estimated 20% of all patients with cancer will develop brain metastases, with the majority of brain metastases occurring in those with lung, breast and colorectal cancers, melanoma or renal cell carcinoma. Brain metastases are thought to occur via seeding of circulating tumour cells into the brain microvasculature; within this unique microenvironment, tumour growth is promoted and the penetration of systemic medical therapies is limited. Development of brain metastases remains a substantial contributor to overall cancer mortality in patients with advanced-stage cancer because prognosis remains poor despite multimodal treatments and advances in systemic therapies, which include a combination of surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapies. Thus, interest abounds in understanding the mechanisms that drive brain metastases so that they can be targeted with preventive therapeutic strategies and in understanding the molecular characteristics of brain metastases relative to the primary tumour so that they can inform targeted therapy selection. Increased molecular understanding of the disease will also drive continued development of novel immunotherapies and targeted therapies that have higher bioavailability beyond the blood-tumour barrier and drive advances in radiotherapies and minimally invasive surgical techniques. As these discoveries and innovations move from the realm of basic science to preclinical and clinical applications, future outcomes for patients with brain metastases are almost certain to improve.

Clinical presentation, risk factors and outcome of central nervous system metastasis vs stroke in cancer patients

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Cancer and stroke are the second and third causes of death worldwide; brain metastases (BM) occur in one third of patients with cancer, any neurologic deficit in these population always prompts the clinician to discard metastases for their presence carries a bad outcome. Both might share clinical presentation and differences in their outcome are not entirely known. The aim was to compare risk factors, clinical presentation, and outcome of cancer patients with BM vs stroke.

METHODS

A descriptive study with prospectively acquired data from a cancer referral center included patients seen at the neuro-oncologic unit from March 2011 to February 2018 with confirmed cancer who had BM or stroke.

RESULTS

Six hundred and thirteen BM patients were compared with 268 with stroke and cancer. Demographic factors, cancer type, risk factors, clinical presentation, and outcome are presented. Median overall survival in months for those with any stroke was 15 (95%confidence interval [CI] 8.6-21.4)-5 (95%CI 0.12.4) for hemorrhagic stroke and 22 (95%CI 13.4-30.6) in the ischemic group-and for those with BM 12 (95%CI 10.4-13.6). Hemorrhagic stroke commonly found in stroke patients as well as focal motor weakness, aphasia, and altered mental status. BM was more common in breast and lung cancer with headache, visual complaint, and/or vertigo.

CONCLUSION

Survival in cancer patients with BM is not that different than those with stroke, but clinical presentation and risk factors were found different.

Extra cost of brain metastases (BM) in patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): a French national hospital database analysis

Purpose

To assess the incremental cost associated with the management of patients with primary non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with brain metastases at the time of diagnosis.

Methods

Data were extracted from the French Hospital medical information database (Programme de Médicalisation des Systèmes d'Information (PMSI)). Patients with non-squamous NSCLC were identified through a diagnosis of lung cancer and a prescription of bevacizumab or pemetrexed. All such patients hospitalised with lung cancer for the first time in 2013 and with metastases identified at the first hospitalisation were eligible. Two cohorts were identified, one with brain metastases (group B: n=971) and one with metastases at other sites (group A: n=1529). For each patient, total in-hospital medical resource consumption associated with the initial hospitalisation in 2013 and with any follow-up stays in the following 24 months was documented. Costs were attributed from official French national tariffs and expressed in 2017 euros.

Results

The mean number of hospitalisations per patient in the 24-moth follow-up period was 17 in group A and 21 in group B. >99% of patients in both groups received chemotherapy. 58% of patients in group B and 13% in group A were managed by radiotherapy. 37% in group B and 24% in group A received palliative care. The associated cost was €2979 per patient-month for patients in group B and €2426 for patients in group A, representing a differential cost of €553 per month. Radiotherapy (+€164/month) and palliative care (+€130/month) were the principal drivers of the incremental cost.

Conclusions

The presence of brain metastases at the time of diagnosis of non-squamous NSCLC carries a significant burden, and ways of lowering this burden are needed.

Factors associated with long-term survival in central nervous system metastases

BACKGROUND

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide; central nervous system metastases (CNSm) are amongst the most common complications of cancer and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. The aim of the study was to associate clinic and oncologic characteristics with the possibility of survival for ≥ 1 year.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A prospective cohort in two referral centers recollected clinical and oncologic data from patients diagnosed with CNSm. Chronic metastases were defined as those patients that survived for ≥ 12 months after the diagnosis of CNSm.

RESULTS

Of 613 patients with CNSm, 554 had solid tumors as the primary cancer and were included; 405 (73%) were women, the most common primary cancer site were breast, lung and urologic. Chronic CNSm were found in 260 (47%) and were compared to those who did not. After multivariate logistic regression analysis, variables associated with good prognosis (living > 12 months) were: female sex (HR 0.55), single CNSm (HR 0.39), diagnosis of CNSm during initial extension studies or during presentation of cancer (HR 0.43), and occipital location (HR 0.62).

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term survival in patients with CNSm remains a topic of debate; their bad prognosis could be changing towards improvement. Clinical findings are typically overlooked in CNSm reports and prognostic scales. After our findings, we propose to include them in forthcoming studies to aid prognostic considerations. Factors associated with prolonged survival found in our study include female gender, timing of CNSm diagnosis, occipital lobe location, and single CNSm.