WCLC 2025 - Posters & ePosters-EP.01.08 Lung Cancer in Elderly Patients: Insights From a Community Oncology Setting in Western India

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This retrospective study, presented by Dr. Pradip Kendre, investigates lung cancer characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes in elderly patients (≥80 years) within community oncology settings in Western India. Analyzing data from 2281 lung cancer patients diagnosed between March 2018 and September 2024, the study focuses on 189 elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The median age was 82 years with a male-to-female ratio of 2:1.<br /><br />Key findings include that 69.3% of these patients presented with stage IV disease, and 100 of the 189 received first-line treatment. Molecular testing was performed in 57.7% of the total cohort, revealing mutation positivity in 42% of treated elderly patients. Common mutations tested encompassed EGFR, KRAS, TP53, MET, RET, ROS1, PIK3CA, BRAF, ALK, and HER2. Mutation-positive patients exhibited a median overall survival (mOS) of 14.95 months compared to 7.3 months for mutation-negative patients. The study reports a median follow-up of 32.8 months and an overall mOS of 10.3 months in the elderly group.<br /><br />PD-L1 testing was conducted in 38%, with 11 out of 58 tested patients showing PD-L1 positivity. Among these, 37.5% had PD-L1 expression of 1-49%, and 16.6% had ≥50%. Approximately 45.4% of PD-L1 positive patients received immunotherapy. Metastases commonly involved bone (50%), brain (18%), liver (18%), and distant lymph nodes (14%).<br /><br />The study underscores that lung cancer in very elderly patients is predominantly diagnosed at an advanced stage and that molecular profiling is critical for guiding targeted therapies, significantly improving survival outcomes. Moreover, immunotherapy uptake among PD-L1 positive patients suggests evolving treatment strategies in this demographic. These insights fill the existing knowledge gap regarding lung cancer management in elderly patients from community oncology settings in Western India, highlighting the importance of personalized treatment approaches to improve prognosis.

Asset Subtitle

Pradipn Kendre

Meta Tag

Speaker Pradipn Kendre

Topic Risk Factors, Risk Reduction & Tobacco Control

Keywords

lung cancer

elderly patients

non-small cell lung cancer

Western India

molecular testing

mutation positivity

overall survival

PD-L1 expression

immunotherapy

advanced stage diagnosis