Systemic Treatment Remains Underused in Older Adults With Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Study overview

Metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) is one of the most serious forms of lung cancer. It has long carried a very high risk of death, but treatment has changed dramatically over the past two decades. Chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies have made it possible to help many patients live longer and, in some cases, with fewer side effects than older regimens.

Even with these advances, it has been unclear how often older adults in the United States actually receive systemic treatment in everyday practice. This study used linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) and Medicare data to look at treatment patterns among patients 65 years and older who were diagnosed with mNSCLC between January 2006 and December 2021.