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. 2021 Aug;17(8):e1120-e1130.
doi: 10.1200/OP.20.00899. Epub 2021 Mar 9.

Improving Care for Patients With Stage III or IV NSCLC: Learnings for Multidisciplinary Teams From the ACCC National Quality Survey

Ravi Salgia  1 , Leigh M Boehmer  2 , Catherine Celestin  3   4 , Hong Yu  3 , David R Spigel  5
Affiliations

Improving Care for Patients With Stage III or IV NSCLC: Learnings for Multidisciplinary Teams From the ACCC National Quality Survey

Ravi Salgia et al. JCO Oncol Pract. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

Purpose: Insufficient characterization of the optimal multidisciplinary team and lack of understanding of barriers to quality care are unmet needs in the management of stage III or IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A national survey was conducted to inform the design and execution of process improvement plans and address identified barriers.

Methods: A steering committee of multidisciplinary specialists and representation from patient advocacy collaborated for a comprehensive, double-blind, web-based survey (January-April 2019) to obtain insights on care delivery for patients with advanced NSCLC in a diverse set of US community cancer programs.

Results: Overall, 639 responses (160 unique cancer programs across 44 US states) were included; 41% (n = 261) of respondents indicated an absence of a thoracic multidisciplinary clinic in their cancer program. Engagement in shared decision making was significantly associated with the presence of navigation and radiation oncology disciplines (P ≤ .04); 19.2% and 33.3% of respondents belonged to cancer programs with no lung cancer screening and no protocol for biomarker testing, respectively. The frequency of tumor board meetings negatively correlated with time to complete disease staging (P = .03); the average time to first therapeutic intervention in newly diagnosed patients was 4 weeks. The most challenging barriers to quality care included insufficient quantity of biopsy material for biomarker testing, lack of primary care provider referrals, and diagnostic costs.

Conclusion: Improving the quality of advanced NSCLC care, including optimization of a multidisciplinary team framework, may surmount barriers to care coordination, diagnosis and staging, and treatment planning, consequently improving adherence to evolving standards of care.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ravi SalgiaConsulting or Advisory Role: Iovance Biotherapeutics, AbbVie, Octimet, Novartis, ARIADSpeakers' Bureau: AstraZeneca, Merck Catherine CelestinEmployment: AstraZeneca, NanobiotixStock and Other Ownership Interests: AstraZeneca, Nanobiotix, Moderna Therapeutics, BioNTech AGTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: AstraZeneca, Nanobiotix Hong YuEmployment: AstraZenecaStock and Other Ownership Interests: AstraZenecaTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: AstraZeneca David R. SpigelLeadership: ASCOConsulting or Advisory Role: Genentech/Roche, Novartis, Celgene, Bristol Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Nektar, Takeda, TRM Oncology, Evelo Therapeutics, Illumina, PharmaMar, Aptitude Health, Bayer, Dracen, EMD Serono, Iksuda Therapeutics, Molecular Templates, Seattle Genetics, Triptych Health PartnersResearch Funding: Genentech/Roche, Novartis, Celgene, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lilly, AstraZeneca, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center—Simmons Cancer Center, Merck, G1 Therapeutics, Neon Therapeutics, Takeda, Nektar, Celldex, Clovis Oncology, Daiichi Sankyo, EMD Serono, Astellas Pharma, GRAIL, Transgene, Aeglea Biotherapeutics, Ipsen, BIND Therapeutics, Eisai, ImClone Systems, Immunogen, Janssen Oncology, MedImmune, Molecular PartnersTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: AstraZeneca, Celgene, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, Merck, Pfizer, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, Daiichi Sankyo, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen Oncology, Novartis, Seattle Genetics, TakedaNo other potential conflicts of interest were reported.

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