Treatment patterns in stage III non‑small‑cell lung cancer patients: a population‑based study using German cancer registry data

PURPOSE: Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, mostly due to delayed diagnosis. The objective of this study is to examine the treatment patterns and overall survival (OS) outcomes in a cohort of patients diagnosed with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) over a period of 12 years in Germany. METHODS: This retrospective study is based on German cancer registry data and included 14,606 stage III NSCLC patients diagnosed during 2007–2018. Three time-periods were defined according to the availability of advanced diagnostic and treatment strategies (2007–2010 low availability era (LAE), 2011–2014 transition era (TE), 2015–2018 modern era (ME)). Patients were categorized according to the treatment they received during those eras. Kaplan–Meier curves and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate the association between being diagnosed during a certain era and survival. The hazard ratio (HR) estimates were reported along with the 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: The median OS rose from 16 months in the LAE to 22 months in the ME. The HR for patients diagnosed and treated in the ME was estimated to be [0.78; 95% CI (0.74–0.83)] compared to those diagnosed and treated in LAE. The benefit was most evident for patients treated by radiotherapy and chemotherapy [HR 0.73 95% CI (0.66–0.82)]. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of diagnostic and treatment advances in improving outcomes for lung cancer patients. Further studies are needed to assess progress in survival rates with current immunotherapy integration. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00432-023-05289-7.