Access to treatment and survival outcomes among US veterans with stage I non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may vary depending on demographic and sociological patterns, according to a study presented at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, held in Chicago earlier this month, and published simultaneously online. 1
Madison Panell, DO, of Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY, and colleagues retrospectively analyzed Veterans Affairs Cancer Care Cube data from 2000 and 2003. The researchers noted better 5-year survival rates across all age groups: 41.77% to 54.32% for those aged 40 to 59 years and 42.32% for those aged >70 years in the surgical group, compared with 0% to 24.68% for those treated with radiation therapy.
Survival rates varied somewhat by race, Panell and colleagues noted, with Asian patients having the highest 5-year survival following surgery, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander patients having the lowest survival for both surgery and radiation. The researchers noted that the patients who had higher ECOG scores generally had lower long-term survival and were more predictive of surgery.
“Demographic and exposure-related disparities highlight the need for tailored interventions to optimize care. These findings inform clinical decision-making and emphasize the importance of equitable access to curative treatments in this vulnerable population,” the researchers concluded.
Reference
1. Panell M, Safdar R, Humayun N, et al. Initial treatment and survival outcomes for early-stage NSCLC in veterans: insights from cancer cube data. J Clin Oncol.2025;doi:10.1200/JCO.2025.43.16_suppl.8047
