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H. Chen



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    MINI 18 - Radiation Topics in Localized NSCLC (ID 139)

    • Event: WCLC 2015
    • Type: Mini Oral
    • Track: Treatment of Localized Disease - NSCLC
    • Presentations: 1
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      MINI18.08 - A Systematic Review of Comparative Effectiveness Studies of Surgery versus SABR in Early Stage Lung Cancer: How Good Is the Data? (ID 1549)

      16:45 - 18:15  |  Author(s): H. Chen

      • Abstract
      • Presentation
      • Slides

      Background:
      Three prospective randomized control trials (RCTs) comparing stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and surgery in early stage non-small cell lung cancer (ES-NSCLC) failed to complete accrual. Numerous other comparative effectiveness studies have been published, but such studies may be more prone to bias, and conclusions may vary based on study quality. The goal of this study was to perform a systematic review of comparative effectiveness studies that compare both treatment modalities in this patient population, to assess study quality and conclusions.

      Methods:
      In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted on studies reporting on comparative outcomes of surgery versus SABR for ES-NSCLC. Studies published in the English language over a 10-year period (April 2006-March 2015) were identified using PUBMED with an inclusive search strategy, using the National Library of Medicine’s medical subject headings. Eligible study designs included RCTs, population analyses, match pair comparisons, propensity-match score comparisons, retrospective case-control series, decision analyses, and cost-effectiveness analyses. Letters, editorial and systematic reviews were excluded. Abstracts identified were independently reviewed by two investigators to determine eligibility, with discrepancies settled by a third investigator. Using a standardized data abstraction form, study, patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics were abstracted. As patients undergoing surgery and SABR often differ in their baseline characteristics, we determined the proportion of studies reporting statistical adjustment for baseline characteristic imbalances (e.g. matching in patient studies, sensitivity analyses in modeling studies). The Fisher’s exact test was used to determine if there was an association between the use of statistical adjustment and differences in overall survival (OS) findings.

      Results:
      Of the 568 studies identified by our search strategy, 22 were eligible for analysis. Primary study design was retrospective (n=11), population-based (n=7), or model-based (n=4). Most patient studies (n=17) reported on a statistical adjustment for differences in baseline characteristics, with propensity score matching (n=12) being the most common technique employed. All studies, except for 1, reported details of the type of surgery performed. SABR doses employed ranged from 30 Gy in 1 fraction, to 60 Gy in 3 fractions. The weighted average pathologic confirmation of malignancy rate for SABR patients was 72% (range 22-100%). Of the 20 studies reporting on overall survival, 12 found that SABR and surgery were equal, or sensitive to variability in baseline patient, treatment, or tumor factors. The remaining 8 studies reported an overall survival benefit of surgery over SABR, however, 4 of these studies did not employ statistical adjustments for baseline characteristics. In the other 4 studies reporting overall survival superiority of surgery when controlling for various co-variates, at least one other recurrence endpoint (local, regional, or distant) was found to be equal between surgery and SABR. All but 2 studies stated in their conclusion that future clinical trials are warranted to investigate the role of SABR in the potentially operable ES-NSCLC patient.

      Conclusion:
      A systematic review of the comparative effectiveness literature indicates that the results of well-controlled studies comparing surgery and SABR argue for clinical equipoise. Results of a pooled analysis of two international RCTs that closed prematurely are expected shortly.

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