Unequal Racial Distribution of Immunotherapy for Late-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Menée à partir de données des registres américains des cancers portant sur 21 098 patients atteints d'un cancer du poumon non à petites cellules de stade IV, cette étude analyse les disparités ethniques dans l'utilisation des immunothérapies et dans la survie globale
Immunotherapy has increased survival for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially for those diagnosed with late-stage disease. However, it is not known if its use is equally distributed across races. We assessed immunotherapy use in 21,098 pathologically confirmed stage IV NSCLC according to race in the Surveillance Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked dataset. Multivariable models were conducted to evaluate the independent association of receipt of immunotherapy with race, and overall survival according to race. Black patients had significantly lower odds of receiving immunotherapy (ORadj 0.60; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.80); receipt of immunotherapy was lower in Hispanics and Asians, but not statistically significant. When immunotherapy was received, survival was similar across races. Immunotherapy for NSCLC is not used equally among races, underscoring the racial disparities that exist in access to the newest cancer treatment. Efforts should be directed towards expanding access to novel, efficacious treatments for advanced stage lung cancer.