First-line treatment and overall survival in EGFR mutation-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a national cohort study

OBJECTIVE: Non-squamous non -small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the first leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Taiwan. This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of first-line targeted therapy for advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive non-squamous NSCLC in Taiwan. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a re-al-world, retrospective, observational study of patients diagnosed with advanced non-squamous NSCLC (N=63,248). Between 2011 and 2019, 19,458 patients received targeted therapy and 22,994 patients received chemotherapy alone; between 2002 and 2010, 20,796 patients received chemotherapy alone. Overall survival (OS) was determined. RESULTS: The median OS for patients treated with first-line targeted therapy (22.9 months) was longer than that of patients receiving chemotherapy alone (11.7 months). HR: 0.521, log -rank test, p < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: These data represent the potential survival outcomes of Taiwanese patients with advanced EGFR mutation-positive non-squamous NSCLC in clinical practice.