Trends among US oncologists in managing patients with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma: 2011-2013

Background: The management of patients with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is evolving rapidly. There have been Food and Drug Administration approvals for new therapies or expanded use of existing therapies in each of the last 6-year, with three approvals in the past year alone. This pattern is projected to continue with the advances of immunotherapies (e.g., programmed death-1 and programmed death-ligand 1 inhibitors), producing promising clinical trial results. With this continual stream of new options, it is important to understand oncologists' grasp of the evidence supporting their use and their approach to incorporation into practice. Methods: To assess oncologists' current approaches to managing patients with advanced local and metastatic lung cancer, we distributed a patient vignette survey to a cohort of practicing oncologists in 2011, 2012, and 2013 to assess trends in practice patterns of US oncologists in the management of patients with advanced local and metastatic lung cancer. Results: Shifts in practice patterns regarding testing and treatment for NSCLC were observed to be reflective of the shifts in the corresponding evidence. Oncologists have favorable perceptions of NSCLC immunotherapies, but lack familiarity with current immunotherapies and how they work.