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Introduction: Optimal management of people with advanced NSCLC depends on accurate identification of predictive markers. Yet, real-world data in this setting are limited. We describe the impact, timeliness, and outcomes of molecular testing for patients with advanced NSCLC and good performance status in England., Methods: In collaboration with Public Health England, patients with stages IIIB to IV NSCLC, with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 2, in England, between June 2017 and December 2017, were identified. All English hospitals were invited to record information., Results: A total of 60 of 142 invited hospitals in England participated in this study and submitted data on 1157 patients. During the study period, 83% of patients with advanced adenocarcinoma underwent molecular testing for three recommended predictive biomarkers (EGFR, ALK, and programmed death-ligand 1). A total of 80% of patients with nonsquamous carcinomas on whom biomarker testing was performed had adequate tissue for analysis on initial sampling. First-line treatment with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor was received by 71% of patients with adenocarcinoma and a sensitizing EGFR mutation and by 59% of those with an ALK translocation. Of patients with no driver mutation and a programmed death-ligand 1 expression of greater than or equal to 50%, 47% received immunotherapy., Conclusions: We present a comprehensive data set for molecular testing in England. Although molecular testing is well established in England, timeliness and uptake of targeted therapies should be improved., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Background: Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on cancer cells is a clinically important biomarker to select patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for treatment with programmed death-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Clinical trials of immunotherapy in patients with NSCLC have required histologic evidence for PD-L1 testing; in clinical practice, cytologic samples commonly are acquired in patients with advanced disease., Research Question: This study aims to investigate whether endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) samples are adequate for PD-L1 testing in NSCLC., Study Design and Methods: This study investigates the sampling adequacy of EBUS-TBNA for PD-L1 testing when compared with other methods. Furthermore, the relationship between clinicopathologic characteristics and PD-L1 expression in the study population have been examined. Five hundred seventy-seven NSCLC specimens were analyzed from consecutive patients with NSCLC across six centers in the United Kingdom and one center in the United States between January 2015 and December 2016., Results: In the EBUS-TBNA group (189 specimens), the overall percentage of patients with successful PD-L1 testing was 94.7%. There was no significant difference in sampling adequacy with other methods of tissue acquisition. Older patients had higher failure rates of PD-L1 testing (OR, 1.06; P = .008). In multivariate analysis, advanced N-stage (P = .048) and presence of brain metastasis (P < .001) were associated with high PD-L1 expression., Interpretation: This large multicenter study shows that EBUS-TBNA provides samples adequate for PD-L1 testing and that advanced N stage and the presence of brain metastasis are associated with high PD-L1 expression., (Copyright © 2020 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: We present the first analysis of the management and outcomes of stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) conducted in England using National Lung Cancer Audit data., Materials and Methods: Patients diagnosed with stage III NSCLC in 2016 were identified. Linked datasets (including Hospital Episode Statistics, the National Radiotherapy Dataset, the Systemic Anti-Cancer Dataset, pathology reports and death certificate data) were used to categorise the treatment received. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were obtained, with survival defined from the date of diagnosis to the date of death., Results: In total, 6276 cases of stage III NSCLC were analysed: 3827 stage IIIA and 2449 stage IIIB; 1047 (17%) patients were treated with radical radiotherapy with 676 (11%) of these also receiving chemotherapy. Twenty per cent of patients with stage IIIA disease underwent surgery, with half of these also receiving chemotherapy, predominantly delivered in the adjuvant setting. Of note, 2148 (34%) patients received palliative-intent treatment and 2265 (36%) received no active anti-cancer treatment. The 1-year survival was 32.9% (37.4% for stage IIIA), with the highest survival seen for those patients receiving chemotherapy and surgery., Conclusions: We highlight important gaps in the optimal care of patients with stage III NSCLC in England. Multimodality treatment with either surgery or radical radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy was delivered to less than one-fifth of patients, even though these regimens are considered optimal. Timely access to specialist resources and staff, the practice of effective shared decision making and challenging preconceptions have the potential to optimise management., (Copyright © 2019 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Data from the National Lung Cancer Audit (NLCA) often show variation in outcomes between lung cancer units which are not entirely explained by case mix. We explore the association between the organisation of services and patient outcome., Methods: Details of service provision were collected via an electronic survey in June 2017. An overall organisational score derived from eleven key service factors from national lung cancer commissioning guidance was calculated for each organisation. The results for each hospital were linked to their patient outcome results from the 2015 NLCA cases. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to link the organisational score to patient outcomes., Results: Lung cancer unit organisational audit scores varied from 0 to 11. Thirty-eight (29%) units had a score of 0-4, 64 (50%) had a score of 5-7 and 27 (21%) had a score of 8-11. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that, compared with an organisational score of 0-4, patients seen at units with a score of 8-11 had higher 1-year survival (adjusted OR (95% CI)=2.30 (1.04 to 5.08), p<0.001), higher curative-intent treatment rate (adjusted OR (95% CI)=1.62 (1.26 to 2.09), p<0.001) and greater likelihood of receiving treatment within 62 days (adjusted OR (95% CI)=1.49 (1.20 to 1.86), p<0.001)., Conclusion: National variation in the provision of services and workforce remain. We provide evidence that adherence to the national lung commissioning guidance has the potential to improve patient outcomes within the current service structure., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)