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S.H. Kim



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    MINI 31 - ALK (ID 158)

    • Event: WCLC 2015
    • Type: Mini Oral
    • Track: Treatment of Advanced Diseases - NSCLC
    • Presentations: 1
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      MINI31.02 - Real-World Characteristics and Outcomes for ALK+ NSCLC in Korea (ID 535)

      18:30 - 20:00  |  Author(s): S.H. Kim

      • Abstract
      • Presentation
      • Slides

      Background:
      Clinical trials have shown superior efficacy of ALK inhibitors compared with chemotherapies for patients diagnosed with ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In Korea, crizotinib was approved for ALK+ NSCLC in 2011 but is not yet reimbursed. The objective of this study was to describe real-world patient characteristics, ALK testing and treatment patterns, and survival among Korean patients diagnosed with locally-advanced or metastatic ALK+ NSCLC.

      Methods:
      A retrospective patient chart review was conducted in two major cancer centers in Korea. Participating physicians (N=4) reviewed patient charts and reported patient characteristics, ALK testing and treatment patterns, and survival of patients diagnosed with ALK+ locally-advanced or metastatic NSCLC. ALK inhibitor treatment duration and overall survival (OS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier analyses.

      Results:
      In late 2014, 55 ALK+ NSCLC patients were identified for this study. The median follow-up time among these patients was 24.8 months. The median age at locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC diagnosis was 60 years (interquartile range: 52 - 67); 53% of patients were female, 51% were never-smokers, 2% were former smokers, 33% were current smokers, 15% had unknown smoking status, and 98% were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. At primary diagnosis, 67% of patients had metastatic disease. ALK rearrangement was confirmed by fluorescent in situ hybridization (78%) or immunohistochemistry (22%). 27% of patients had their ALK rearrangement detected more than three months after their locally-advanced or metastatic diagnosis. The majority of patients received initial systemic chemotherapy; only 13% received an ALK inhibitor in the first-line, and 62% received an ALK inhibitor by the end of follow-up. Out of 30 patients who received crizotinib, 83% discontinued (median duration of 6.3 months) and 13% died while still on crizotinib. Of those who discontinued, 32% switched to chemotherapy, 16% switched to a different ALK inhibitor, and 52% received no further antineoplastic therapy. After discontinuing crizotinib, the median OS was 4.3 months.

      Conclusion:
      In this study of locally-advanced or metastatic ALK+ NSCLC patients in Korea, OS was poor following discontinuation of crizotinib with a median survival of 4.3 months. Additionally, many patients had delays in receiving ALK testing. Among patients who failed crizotinib treatment, over half received no further antineoplastic therapy. These findings suggest the need to provide timely access to ALK testing and effective treatments following crizotinib discontinuation for ALK+ NSCLC patients in Korea.

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