Melisa Wong, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, lays out the findings of a study she did looking at the age of patients with recurrent lung cancer and the likelihood they were to receive active treatment.

The study found that for every 10-year increase in age, a patient was 25% less likely to receive active care—a patient aged 70 years was 25% more likely than one aged 80 to receive active treatment for their cancer. She suggests that age bias, among other reasons, could be responsible for this gap.

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Melisa Wong lays out the findings of a study she did looking at the age of patients with recurrent lung cancer and the likelihood they were to receive active treatment.

Melisa Wong Points Out Potential Age Bias in Active Treatment of Lung Cancer

Melisa Wong, MD, Oncology Chief Fellow, Hematology/Oncology, Aging Research T32 Fellow, University of California San Francisco Geriatrics, discusses the impact that comorbidities have on the treatment for lung cancer.

In her study, Wong found that patients with comorbidities were 40% less likely to be treated for distant recurrence, yet this disparity did not exist for local-regional disease. Wong says that this is a topic that she would like to explore further.

Melisa Wong, MD, Oncology Chief Fellow, Hematology/Oncology, Aging Research T32 Fellow, University of California San Francisco Geriatrics, discusses the impact that comorbidities have on the treatment for lung cancer.
 

Melisa Wong on Factors That Affect Lung Cancer Treatment

Melisa Wong, MD, Oncology Chief Fellow, Hematology/Oncology at the University of California San Francisco, discusses differences among age groups in the treatment of non—small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

In a study involving more than 9000 patients with NSCLC, Wong found that the older a patient was, the less likely he or she was to receive active treatment for recurrence. There was about a 25% drop in the likelihood of getting active treatment for every decade a patient aged, according to Wong.

The study did not explore why this disparity exists, but Wong theorized that it may be due to either bias, since patients over 70 may seem unfit to receive treatments such as chemotherapy, or the choice of some older patients to more comfortably live out the remainder of their life.

Melisa Wong, MD, Oncology Chief Fellow, Hematology/Oncology at the University of California San Francisco, discusses differences among age groups in the treatment of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
 

Melisa Wong on Age Disparities in Treatment for NSCLC Recurrence

Melisa Wong, MD, Oncology Chief Fellow, Hematology/Oncology, Aging Research T32 Fellow, University of California San Francisco Geriatrics, discusses an analysis of age and comorbidity on treatment of non-small cell lung cancer recurrence. Wong presented this analysis at the 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting.

Lung cancer causes more deaths in the US than any other cancer. Even when diagnosed and treated early, Wong says, it still comes back in 30-75% of patients. Further, this issue is critical because patients will often ask their oncologist or oncology nurse about recurrence after initial diagnosis.

In this analysis, researchers collected data on 9,000 patients with stage I-III disease and analyzed if and where the cancer came back and how the patient was treated. Patients were grouped by active care (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or some combination of the three) and best supportive care.

Researchers found that older adults are less likely to receive active treatment for lung cancer recurrence, even when controlling other medical problems.

Melisa Wong, MD, discusses an analysis of age and comorbidity on treatment of non-small cell lung cancer recurrence. Wong presented this analysis at the 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting.

Melisa Wong, MD

Articles

Melisa Wong Points Out Potential Age Bias in Active Treatment of Lung Cancer

Melisa Wong on Factors That Affect Lung Cancer Treatment

Melisa Wong on Age Disparities in Treatment for NSCLC Recurrence

ASCO 2016: Melisa Wong Discusses Treatment of NSCLC Recurrence