Impact of the ASCO 2007 presentation of HOG Lun 01-24/USO-023 on the prescribing plans of American medical oncologists for patients with stage IIIB non-small cell lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
Nonoperative treatment of stage III non-small cell lung cancer has evolved over the past 30 years. The current approach in the Unites States most often includes concurrent chemoradiotherapy.


METHODS
We have used live, case-based research events to document prescribing plans among American medical oncologists for first-line therapy in patients with N3 stage IIIB non-small cell lung cancer. Changes in prescribing plans documented before and after the 2007 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) presentation of a Hoosier Oncology Group trial testing the role of consolidation docetaxel chemotherapy in this setting are presented.


RESULTS
Data from 2007 show a post-ASCO shift away from plans for docetaxel consolidation, increased use of concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone, and stable to increased plans for concurrent chemoradiation followed by additional cycles of the chemotherapy used during concurrent management (20%). Preliminary data from 2008 confirm the durability of these changes.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of the Hoosier Oncology Group trial support a transition away from docetaxel consolidation. A trend in this direction among American medical oncologists is clear from our data. However, nearly 20% of oncologists studied in 2008 still plan to use docetaxel consolidation. Furthermore, a majority of those studied after ASCO 2007 continue to report plans to use more than two cycles of chemotherapy as part of their preferred treatment recommendation despite no level I evidence to support this approach.
Green
Mark R
MR
NMCR Analytics, Atlanta, Georgia 30342, USA. mgreen@nmcr.com
West
Howard
H
Socinski
Mark A
MA
Willey
Joanne
J
Daniels
Laura
L
Lemke
Kristine
K
Rafferty
George
G
Iovino
Lou
L
D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D000077143:Docetaxel; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000639:trends; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012955:Societies, Medical; D043823:Taxoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel