title: Changes in Treatment Patterns and Overall Survival in Patients With Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in the United States After the Incorporation of Stereotactic Ablative Radiation Therapy: A Population-based Analysis.
abstract: Technologic developments have made radiation therapy (RT) more effective and have introduced new treatment options, such as stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR). This study sought to determine changes in practice patterns for treatment of stage IA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after the introduction of SABR into the United States. This population-based study also examined changes in survival during this time period for all patients and specifically for patients treated with RT, surgery, or observation.
  
  
  
  We included patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database diagnosed with stage IA NSCLC diagnosed between 2004 and 2012. Changes in treatment patterns were assessed. Outcomes were compared across 2 time periods: 2004 to 2008 (pre-SABR) and 2009 to 2012 (post-SABR). Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression were performed to compare overall survival (OS) for patients treated with surgery, RT, or observation.
  
  
  
  A total of 32,249 patients met the specified criteria. Comparing patients diagnosed in 2004 to those diagnosed in 2012, RT use increased from 13% to 29% (P<0.001), surgery use decreased from 76% to 61% (P<0.001), and patients observed decreased from 11% to 10% (P=0.3). There was no significant OS improvement in all patients or those patients who were observed; there were significant improvements in OS for patients treated with RT (hazard ratio=0.768; 95% confidence interval, 0.711-0.829) and those patients treated with surgery (hazard ratio=0.9; 95% confidence interval, 0.855-0.962).
  
  
  
  There has been an increase in RT utilization and decrease in surgical utilization after the incorporation of SABR by radiation oncologists within the United States. In addition, there has been an improvement in OS for patients treated with definitive RT for early-stage NSCLC between 2004 and 2012 that may be associated with increased utilization of SABR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Greater Houston Physicians in Medicine Association, The Woodlands.
authors.forename: Waqar
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Haque
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Szeja
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tann
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine.
authors.forename: Sarathi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalra
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Houston Methodist Hospital, Cancer Center and Research Institute, Weil Cornell Medical College, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Bin S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Teh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000639:trends*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000639:trends*; D018426:SEER Program; D014481:United States