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.