Background: Lung cancer is one of the commonest cancers around the globe and associated with poorer prognosis particularly in a lower socioeconomic group. (1, 2)
Purpose: We present a retrospective review of the outcomes of lung cancer patients treated at Lyell McEwin Hospital, which covers the catchment of the lower socioeconomic and migrant population.
Methods: 2018 and 2017 database comprised a total of 209 patients with new diagnosis of lung cancer.
Results: Non-small cell lung cancer was the commonest type of lung cancer (88 %) with adenocarcinoma being the most common and adenosquamous was the least common subtype. The ratio of lung cancer among male to female was 1.13 and history of smoking was evident in 90% of all patients.
The higher incidence of NSCLC presented as stage IV disease with over 60 patients (67%) in both years. The numbers of patients receiving first-line systemic chemotherapy in stage IV NSCLC was similar in both groups, but the rate of receiving first-line immunotherapy was significantly different with only 2 patients in 2017 compared with 9 in 2018.
The rate of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation was 2.5% across both years and there were two cases of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutation seen in 2017 compared to none in 2018 and c-ros oncogene 1 (ROS1) mutation had not been detected in either group.
There were 10 patients registered in triaging cohort with small cell lung cancer in 2017 compared and only 6 in 2018 and most of the patients were extensive-stage at the diagnosis. Mesothelioma was the least common type of lung malignancy.
The one-year mortality rate was 65% in 2017 compared to 57% in 2018.
Conclusion: Our limited number of patients review suggests the higher mortality rate and poor prognosis in a lower socioeconomic group population with lung cancer patients.