Association between age and survival trends in advanced non-small cell lung cancer after adoption of immunotherapy

A retrospective cohort study in approximately 280 US cancer clinics (53,719 patients with advanced NSCLC) found that the use of ICIs increased from 4.7% in 2015 to 45.6% in 2019 (p<0.001). Use of ICIs in 2019 was similar between the youngest and the oldest patients. From 2011 to 2018, the predicted probability of 2-year survival increased from 37.7% to 50.3% among patients younger than 55 years and from 30.6% to 36.2% among patients aged 75 years or older. The authors conclude that, among patients with advanced NSCLC, the uptake of ICIs after FDA approval was rapid across all age groups. However, corresponding survival gains were modest, particularly among the oldest patients.