Characteristics and overall survival of patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer: A cohort study in Denmark

Abstract

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for the majority of all lung cancer diagnoses, and approximately 35% of patients with NSCLC are diagnosed at an early stage (I–IIIA). This study aimed to describe epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) testing, patient characteristics, and overall survival (OS) among patients with early-stage NSCLC in Denmark. Patients with early-stage NSCLC registered in the Danish Lung Cancer Registry in 2013–2018 were followed through 2019. We described EGFR testing, descriptively summarised patient characteristics, and calculated OS by EGFR testing and mutation status. The association between EGFR mutation (EGFRm) and all-cause mortality was estimated using Cox proportional-hazards regression, in subgroups defined by stage at diagnosis, age at diagnosis, comorbidity, and receipt of surgery. In 2013–2018, 21,282 patients with NSCLC were registered in the Danish Lung Cancer Registry, of whom 8758 were diagnosed at an early stage. Of those, 4071 (46%) were tested for EGFRm at diagnosis. Median OS was 5.7 years among patients with EGFRm-positive status (n = 361) and 4.4 years among patients with EGFRm-negative status (n = 3710). EGFRm-positive status was associated with lower all-cause mortality in all subgroups. This study contributes to population-based evidence on the epidemiology of early-stage NSCLC treated in routine clinical practice.