Patterns of care for older patients with stage IV non‐small cell lung cancer in the immunotherapy era

BACKGROUND: Historically, older patients with advanced lung cancer have often received no systemic treatment. Immunotherapy has improved outcomes in clinical trials, but its dissemination and implementation at the population level is not well‐understood. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of patients with stage IV non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) diagnosed age 66 or older from 2012 to 2015 was conducted using SEER‐Medicare. Treatment patterns within one year of diagnosis were ascertained. Outcomes included delivery of (a) any systemic therapy; (b) any second‐line infusional therapy, following first‐line infusional therapy; and (c) any second‐line immunotherapy, following first‐line infusional therapy. Trends in care patterns associated with second‐line immunotherapy approvals in 2015 were assessed using generalized additive models. Sociodemographic and clinical predictors of treatment were explored using logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 10 303 patients, 5173 (50.2%) received first‐line systemic therapy, with little change between the years 2012 (47.5%) and 2015 (50.3%). Among 3943 patients completing first‐line infusional therapy, the proportion starting second‐line infusional treatment remained stable from 2012 (30.5%) through 2014 (32.9%), before increasing in 2015 (42.4%) concurrent with second‐line immunotherapy approvals. Factors associated with decreased utilization of any therapy included age, black race, Medicaid eligibility, residence in a high‐poverty area, nonadenocarcinoma histology, and comorbidity; factors associated with increased utilization of any therapy included Asian race and Hispanic ethnicity. Among patients who received first‐line infusional therapy, factors associated with decreased utilization of second‐line infusional therapy included age, Medicaid eligibility, nonadenocarcinoma histology, and comorbidity; Asian race was associated with increased utilization of second‐line infusional therapy. CONCLUSION: United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals of immunotherapy for the second‐line treatment of advanced NSCLC in 2015 were associated with increased rates of any second‐line treatment, but disparities based on social determinants of health persisted.