Predictors of long-term survival and recurrence patterns after definitive chemoradiotherapy in stage III NSCLC – a multicenter cohort study from Mid Sweden

• Background: Stage III NSCLC is heterogeneous but often recurs despite intensive treatment with curative intent. Clinical tools to predict the risk and pattern of recurrence and long-term survival in individual patients are largely lacking. Methods: NSCLC stage III patients (N=193) treated 2009-2018 with definitive, curatively intended chemoradiotherapy (CRT, 60Gy+) were retrospectively identified from three healthcare regions in Mid Sweden. Outcome variables included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and recurrence patterns.  Results:  Median follow-up of patients alive was 52 months. 1, 2 and 5-year OS was 80%, 63% and 34% with a mOS of 32 months. Pre-treatment serum inflammatory markers were associated with inferior OS, including leukocyte count > 10 (HR 1.58, 95% CI 1.08-2.31, p=0.018) and CRP > 5 (HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.16-2.83, p=0.009). CRP remained independently associated with OS in multivariable analysis, HR 1.67 (1.05-2.65, p=0.029). No other pre-treatment variable was significantly associated with OS. Progressive disease (PD) was documented in 65% of patients after a median time of 9.5 months, 96% within 3 years from CRT, and was typically either distant or locoregional (12% mixed). Distant PD developed earlier (6.3 months) than locoregional PD (11.5 months; p=0.052).  N3 disease (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.2-6.3,; p=0.022) and presence of driver mutations (OR 4.6, 95% CI 1.5-14.0; p=0.0076) increased the risk of distant PD, while ≥2 concurrent chemotherapy courses was protective of locoregional PD (OR 0.38, 9% CI 0.1-1.0; p=0.049). Brain metastases were the first indication of PD in 22 patients (12%) and were in all cases isolated without synchronous extracranial PD. A post-CRT 18F-FDG-PET SUVmax of ≥7 was associated with a shorter time to PD (HR 0.41, 95% CI 0.21-0.79, p=0.008).   Conclusions: The study reinforces the prognostic role of systemic inflammation in stage III NSCLC and provides clinically useful indicators of relapse pattern as a basis for rational disease monitoring following CRT. 

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Cancer och onkologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Cancer and Oncology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Oncology

Onkologi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)