2022 World Conference on Lung Cancer (ePosters)-EP04.01-008. Factors Impacting Time from Biopsy to Initiation of Treatment for Advanced NSCLC at an Academic Hospital and Affiliate Hospitals

EP04.01-008. Factors Impacting Time from Biopsy to Initiation of Treatment for Advanced NSCLC at an Academic Hospital and Affiliate Hospitals

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A study was conducted to examine the factors that impact the time from biopsy to treatment in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at an academic center and its affiliate hospitals. The researchers compared the time to treatment at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) and two affiliate hospitals, Central DuPage Hospital (CDH) and Delnor Hospital. The study included 191 patients with stage IV NSCLC, with 68.6% diagnosed in 2019 and 31.4% diagnosed in 2020.<br /><br />The results showed that the time from biopsy to treatment was shorter at Northwestern compared to CDH and Delnor in both 2019 and 2020. The median time from biopsy to treatment decreased by 9 days at Northwestern between the two years, while it remained similar at CDH and Delnor. This suggests that reflex next-generation sequencing (NGS) testing may be associated with faster turnaround times for NGS testing.<br /><br />The study also found that fewer patients presented for lung cancer care in 2020 compared to 2019, likely due to delays in seeking care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the study revealed that radiation therapy and the need for repeat biopsy did not differ significantly between the two sites.<br /><br />The researchers concluded that delays in the time from biopsy to treatment can impact outcomes in advanced cancers, such as NSCLC. The nature of NGS testing is one factor that affects the time to treatment initiation. At NMH, NGS testing is done in-house using a 50-gene panel, while at affiliate hospitals, testing is sent to private vendors. The study highlights the importance of further exploring the disparity in turnaround times for NGS testing between different hospitals.<br /><br />In summary, the study shows that reflex NGS testing may lead to faster turnaround times for NGS testing and shorter time from biopsy to treatment in advanced NSCLC. The study emphasizes the need for standardized protocols in NGS testing and further investigation of the impact of NGS testing, radiation therapy, and other factors on the time to treatment initiation in advanced lung cancer.

Asset Subtitle

Chetan Vakkalagadda

Meta Tag

Speaker Chetan Vakkalagadda

Topic Global Health, Health Services Research, and Health Economics - Cost Issues

Keywords

biopsy to treatment

advanced non-small cell lung cancer

academic center

affiliate hospitals

Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Central DuPage Hospital

Delnor Hospital

reflex next-generation sequencing

turnaround times

COVID-19 pandemic