Small-cell lung cancer: 8 years experience of a single multidisciplinary team

Does presentation at multidisciplinary team meetings improve lung cancer survival? Findings from a consecutive cohort study

BACKGROUND

Multidisciplinary team (MDT) presentation in lung cancer has the potential to improve longterm outcomes, although this varies between studies. This study aims to evaluate outcomes including survival, according to MDT presentation and to explore the utility of data obtained from local clinical sources.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Prospective cases of lung cancer recorded in our institution's cancer registry were analyzed according to MDT presentation for patient and tumour characteristics, adjusted survival and referral to palliative care.

RESULTS

1197 cases were included, 295 (24.6%) with MDT presentation and 902 (75.4%) without. 60% of patients were male with median (IQR) age at diagnosis of 70 years (62-78). Histopathology distribution (non-small cell lung cancer and small-cell lung cancer) was similar between the two groups. Compared with the non-MDT group, the MDT group had (1) ECOG score recorded more often (71.9% vs. 47.6%), (2) higher proportion of ECOG 0 cases (31.2% vs. 11.9%) and ECOG 1 cases (28.8% vs. 20.3%), (3) higher proportion of early stage disease (stage I - 23.1% vs. 9.7% stage II - 10.2% vs. 4.8%, stage IIIA - 14.6% vs 6.3%) and (4) lower proportion of metastatic disease (stage IV - 39.3% vs. 56.1%). Referral to palliative care was incompletely recorded in both groups (MDT: n = 116/295, 39.3%; non-MDT: n = 430, 47.7%) but did not differ significantly for stage IV cases. Survival analyzed by stage was greater in the MDT group at 1, 2 and 5 years for all stages except stage IIIB at 1 year post-diagnosis. Adjusted survival analysis for the entire cohort showed improved survival at 5 years for the MDT group (HR 0.7 (0.58-0.85), p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

MDT presentation is associated with improved adjusted survival for lung cancer in this single institutional cohort in an analysis of local clinical cancer registry data.

Cost-effectiveness of chemotherapy combined with thoracic radiotherapy versus chemotherapy alone for limited stage small cell lung cancer: A population-based propensity-score matched analysis

BACKGROUND

The addition of thoracic radiotherapy improves the outcome of limited stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC), however, the cost-effectiveness of this process has never been reported. We aimed to estimate the short-term cost-effectiveness of chemotherapy combined with thoracic radiotherapy (C-TRT) versus chemotherapy alone (C/T) for LS-SCLC patients from the payer's perspective (Taiwan National Health Insurance).

METHODS

We identified LS-SCLC patients diagnosed within 2007-2009 through a comprehensive population-based database containing cancer and death registries, and reimbursement data. The duration of interest was one year within diagnosis. We included potential confounding covariables through literature searching and our own experience, and used a propensity score to construct a 1:1 population for adjustment. We used a net benefit (NB) approach to evaluate the cost-effectiveness at various willingness-to-pay (WTP) levels. Sensitivity analysis regarding potential unmeasured confounder(s) was performed.

RESULTS

Our study population constituted 74 patients. The mean cost (2013 USD) and survival (year) was higher for C-TRT (42 439 vs. 28 357; 0.94 vs. 0.88). At the common WTP level (50 000 USD/life-year), C-TRT was not cost effective (incremental NB - 11 082) and the probability for C-TRT to be cost effective (i.e. positive net benefit) was 0.005. The result was moderately sensitive to potential unmeasured confounder(s) in sensitivity analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

We provide evidence that when compared to C/T, C-TRT is effective in improving survival, but is not cost-effective in the short-term at a common WTP level from a payer's perspective. This information should be considered by clinicians when discussing thoracic radiotherapy with their LS-SCLC patients.

Bcl-2 and β1-integrin predict survival in a tissue microarray of small cell lung cancer

INTRODUCTION

Survival in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is limited by the development of chemoresistance. Factors associated with chemoresistance in vitro have been difficult to validate in vivo. Both Bcl-2 and β(1)-integrin have been identified as in vitro chemoresistance factors in SCLC but their importance in patients remains uncertain. Tissue microarrays (TMAs) are useful to validate biomarkers but no large TMA exists for SCLC. We designed an SCLC TMA to study potential biomarkers of prognosis and then used it to clarify the role of both Bcl-2 and β(1)-integrin in SCLC.

METHODS

A TMA was constructed consisting of 184 cases of SCLC and stained for expression of Bcl-2 and β(1)-integrin. The slides were scored and the role of the proteins in survival was determined using Cox regression analysis. A meta-analysis of the role of Bcl-2 expression in SCLC prognosis was performed based on published results.

RESULTS

Both proteins were expressed at high levels in the SCLC cases. For Bcl-2 (n=140), the hazard ratio for death if the staining was weak in intensity was 0.55 (0.33-0.94, P=0.03) and for β(1)-integrin (n=151) was 0.60 (0.39-0.92, P=0.02). The meta-analysis showed an overall hazard ratio for low expression of Bcl-2 of 0.91(0.74-1.09).

CONCLUSIONS

Both Bcl-2 and β(1)-integrin are independent prognostic factors in SCLC in this cohort although further validation is required to confirm their importance. A TMA of SCLC cases is feasible but challenging and an important tool for biomarker validation.