Multicenter study of diagnostic procedures, genetic aberration analysis, and first‐line treatment of lung cancer in Jiangsu Province, China

BACKGROUND: Jiangsu Province, China, is highly developed economically and culturally, and has a high prevalence of lung cancer. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic procedures, genetic aberration analysis status, and first‐line treatment models of lung cancer in Jiangsu Province. METHODS: Lung cancer patients diagnosed in 2016 at 22 tertiary care hospitals were evaluated. Demographic characteristics, tumor histology, staging, family history of lung cancer, auxiliary examinations, genetic testing, and first‐line treatment were collected on discharge. Diagnostic and treatment data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. RESULTS: A total of 928 patients were enrolled. Chest computed tomography was the most frequently used diagnostic method; pathology diagnosis was carried out by transbronchial lung biopsy and transthoracic needle aspiration. Stage T1‐2N0M0 small‐cell lung cancer patients experienced surgical resection, and others received cisplatin and etoposide chemotherapy. Stage I and stage II non‐small cell lung cancer patients experienced surgical resection; stage III and stage IV patients received cisplatin and pemetrexed chemotherapy as first‐line treatment. Detection of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations occurred in 29.9% of non‐selective, 36.5% of locally advanced or metastatic, and 42.1% of advanced non‐squamous non‐small cell lung cancer. The overall EGFR‐positive rates were 49.0%, 52.5%, and 53.9%. A total 72.0% of patients with EGFR mutations were treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. CONCLUSION: Chest computed tomography was the most commonly performed diagnostic method for lung cancer. First‐line treatment was primarily determined by disease stages and EGFR mutation status, with few expectations.