2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer (Posters)-P2.31. Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome is Underrecognized in Small Cell Lung Cancer: An Analysis of Real-World Data

P2.31. Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome is Underrecognized in Small Cell Lung Cancer: An Analysis of Real-World Data - PDF(Slides)

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The poster presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) – WCLC Annual Meeting 2023 analyzes real-world data to investigate the frequency of Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS) diagnoses among patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in the United States. LEMS is a rare autoimmune disorder often associated with SCLC, and it is a prognostic indicator of SCLC survival. The study used longitudinal medical and pharmacy claims data from the Symphony Health PatientSource database.<br /><br />The results of the analysis show that the prevalence of LEMS among patients with SCLC in the database ranged from 0.16% to 0.24%. The timing of diagnoses revealed that in 55% of cases, LEMS and SCLC were diagnosed within 90 days of each other. However, in 27% of cases, the initial LEMS claim was 90 days after the index SCLC claim, with a mean time between diagnoses of 15.5 months.<br /><br />The study estimated that there were approximately 258 patients with both lung cancer and LEMS in the US between October 2017 and April 2022. Extrapolating this data, the estimated number of patients with SCLC-LEMS in the US ranges from 1,800 to 2,700, with 90% of cases being undiagnosed. Assuming SCLC-LEMS accounts for approximately 50% of LEMS overall, the total number of US patients with LEMS is estimated to be in the range of 3,600 to 5,400.<br /><br />The study suggests that LEMS may be underdiagnosed among SCLC patients in the US, which could lead to undertreatment. The authors recommend standardized screening and paraneoplastic antibody testing to improve the diagnosis of LEMS and other paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes (PNS). However, the analysis has limitations, and unmeasured confounding is possible.<br /><br />In conclusion, the study provides insights into the underrecognition of LEMS in SCLC patients in the US. It highlights the importance of timely and accurate diagnosis of LEMS in order to ensure appropriate treatment for patients. Further research and strategies for identifying and diagnosing LEMS in SCLC are warranted.

Asset Subtitle

David Morrell

Meta Tag

Speaker David Morrell

Topic Global Health, Health Services & Health Economics: Real World Data

Keywords

LEMS

SCLC

prevalence

diagnosis

underdiagnosis

treatment

underrecognition

timely diagnosis

accurate diagnosis

identifying LEMS