Comparison of drug treatment intent in stage IV solid tumors in EU4+UK.

Abstract

e23323 Background: The goal of cancer treatment may vary based on multiple factors. This study uses real-world data to compare treatment intent, and its evolution over time among patients with solid tumors; whilst we focus on stage IV cohorts, a comparison vs. stage I-III patients is also made, for context. Methods: Ipsos’ Global Oncology Monitor is a multi-stakeholder, physician-reported syndicated patient record database. 3,308 solid tumor-treating physicians (France = 834, Germany = 709, Italy = 578, Spain = 626, UK = 561) were screened for seniority and caseload and submitted data on 329,154 patients (France = 64,985, Germany = 77,709, Italy = 64,507, Spain = 65,427, UK = 56,526). Data were collected online from January 2020 to September 2023. Sample data were projected to the wider clinical population using market sizing extrapolations. Results: Of all solid tumor patients reported, regardless of stage, control cancer spread and/or growth (extend life) is the most common cited goal by sampled physicians when choosing drug therapy for the patient in question (average ~50% reported patients). This is followed by intent of eliminating cancer cells to undetectable levels (curative), while the intent to ease cancer symptoms (palliative) is typically less likely to be selected. Treatment intent at stage I-III showed similar trends, with curative being the most common goal (average ~70% of reported patients). When focusing on Stage IV solid tumors we observe life extension generally emerging as the main intention; a more nuanced analysis reveals similarity between Germany and Spain, where palliative intent is cited more often by sampled physicians compare to other regional counterparts. These differences are shown in Table 1. Little change seen in curative intent from 2020 to 2023 across all regions, except UK, where a downward trend is reflected from Q3 2022 onwards with a concurrent increase in extend life. Conclusions: This study indicates that treating to cure is a common aim for EU4+UK sampled physicians when giving drug therapy to stage I-III solid tumor patients, whilst extending life is the notable goal when considering stage IV patients. Additional analysis of tumor- and region-specific changes over time may help establish any potential influences on drug treatment choice due to factors such as reimbursement and treatment type availability. Further investigation using comparator cohort is warranted. [Table: see text]