2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) - Posters-P2.05A.04 Does the Treating Physician's Specialty-Oncology or Pulmonology-Affect Clinical Outcomes and Survival in Lung Cancer Patients?

P2.05A.04 Does the Treating Physician's Specialty-Oncology or Pulmonology-Affect Clinical Outcomes and Survival in Lung Cancer Patients?

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This study investigated whether the specialty of treating physicians—oncologists or pulmonologists—affects clinical outcomes and survival in patients with stage IV lung cancer in Norway. The research analyzed data from the Cancer Registry of Norway, covering the period from 2018 to 2022, and included 6,724 patients. The study aimed to see if the specialty influences the time to start palliative treatments like radiotherapy or immunotherapy and impacts one-year overall survival rates.<br /><br />The results indicated that while no significant differences were observed in patient demographics or disease characteristics between those treated by oncologists versus pulmonologists, there were notable distinctions in treatment specifics. Patients under pulmonologists' care were more likely to receive immunotherapy than those under oncologists (45.6% vs. 38.3%, respectively), and the start of immunotherapy was faster for pulmonologist-treated patients, with a median wait time of 21 days compared to 28 days for oncologist-treated patients. However, patients treated by oncologists began palliative radiotherapy sooner after diagnosis than those treated by pulmonologists.<br /><br />Moreover, the one-year overall survival was marginally better for patients treated by pulmonologists (30.8%) compared to those treated by oncologists (27.8%). The study suggests these differences could be due to the delays associated with transitioning between departments, which may extend the time to treatment onset.<br /><br />In conclusion, while physician specialty did not significantly impact the use of palliative radiotherapy, pulmonologists were associated with higher use of immunotherapy and shorter wait times to start treatment, potentially leading to slightly improved survival outcomes. This insight could inform healthcare practices concerning the management and treatment approach in advanced lung cancer.

Asset Subtitle

Janna Berg

Meta Tag

Speaker Janna Berg

Topic Pulmonology & Staging

Keywords

stage IV lung cancer

oncologists

pulmonologists

clinical outcomes

survival rates

immunotherapy

radiotherapy

Cancer Registry of Norway

treatment wait times

palliative care