Retrospective analysis of real-world treatment patterns and clinical outcomes in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer starting first-line systemic therapy in the United Kingdom

BACKGROUND: The treatment landscape for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) has evolved rapidly since immuno-oncology (IO) therapies were introduced. This study used recent data to assess real-world treatment patterns and clinical outcomes in aNSCLC in the United Kingdom. METHODS: Electronic prescribing records of treatment-naive patients starting first-line (1 L) treatment for aNSCLC between June 2016 and March 2018 (follow-up until December 2018) in the United Kingdom were assessed retrospectively. Patient characteristics and treatment patterns were analyzed descriptively. Outcomes assessed included overall survival (OS), time to treatment discontinuation, time to next treatment, and real-world tumor response. RESULTS: In all, 1003 patients were evaluated (median age, 68 years [range, 28–93 years]; 53.9% male). Use of 1 L IO monotherapy (0–25.9%) and targeted therapy (11.8–15.9%) increased during the study period, but chemotherapy remained the most common 1 L treatment at all time points (88.2–58.2%). Median OS was 9.5 months (95% CI, 8.8–10.7 months) for all patients, 8.1 months (95% CI, 7.4–8.9 months) with chemotherapy, 14.0 months (95% CI, 10.7–20.6 months) with IO monotherapy, and 20.2 months (95% CI, 16.0–30.5 months) with targeted therapy. In the 28.6% of patients who received second-line treatment, IO monotherapy was the most common drug class (used in 51.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Although use of 1 L IO monotherapy for aNSCLC increased in the United Kingdom during the study period, most patients received 1 L chemotherapy. An OS benefit for first-line IO monotherapy vs chemotherapy was observed but was numerically smaller than that reported in clinical trials. Targeted therapy was associated with the longest OS, highlighting the need for improved treatment options for tumors lacking targetable mutations. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08096-w.