Background The selection of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment remains challenging. This real-world study aimed to compare the overall survival (OS) before and after the implementation of ICIs, to identify OS prognostic factors, and to assess treatment data in first-line (1L) ICI-treated patients without epidermal growth factor receptor mutation or anaplastic lymphoma kinase translocation. Methods Data from the Danish NSCLC population initiated with 1L palliative antineoplastic treatment from 1 January 2013 to 1 October 2018, were extracted from the Danish Lung Cancer Registry (DLCR). Long-term survival and median OS pre- and post-approval of 1L ICI were compared. From electronic health records, additional clinical and treatment data were obtained for ICI-treated patients from 1 March 2017 to 1 October 2018. Results The OS was significantly improved in the DLCR post-approval cohort (n = 2055) compared to the pre-approval cohort (n = 1658). The 3-year OS rates were 18% (95% CI 15.6–20.0) and 6% (95% CI 5.1–7.4), respectively. On multivariable Cox regression, bone (HR = 1.63) and liver metastases (HR = 1.47), performance status (PS) 1 (HR = 1.86), and PS ≥ 2 (HR = 2.19) were significantly associated with poor OS in ICI-treated patients. Conclusion OS significantly improved in patients with advanced NSCLC after ICI implementation in Denmark. In ICI-treated patients, PS ≥ 1, and bone and liver metastases were associated with a worse prognosis.

Variations in symptom development among breast cancer (BC) survivors are understudied. We examined: (Q1) Symptom trajectories of pain, fatigue, insomnia, breast, and arm symptoms in BC survivors, (...

Internal mammary node irradiation (IMNI) improves overall survival (OS) in node-positive breast cancer patients. However, the effect is not documented in breast cancer patients treated with newer systemic therapies and 3D-based radiotherapy (RT). Therefore, the Danish Breast Cancer Group (DBCG) IMN2 study aimed to investigate the effect of IMNI in node-positive breast cancer patients treated with newer systemic therapies and 3D-based RT. DBCG IMN2 was a nationwide population-based cohort study prospectively allocating node-positive breast cancer patients with right-sided tumours to IMNI and patients with left-sided tumours to no IMNI in six RT centres. Exclusion criteria were prior malignancies, bilateral breast cancer, neoadjuvant systemic therapy, recurrence before RT, or non-standard RT. Systemic treatment included taxane-based chemotherapy, aromatase inhibitors, and trastuzumab. The primary end-point was OS. Secondary endpoints were breast cancer mortality and distant metastasis. Cox regression analyses were used for adjusted hazard ratios (HR). Clinicaltrial.gov ID: NCT06549920. In the period January 2007–May 2014, a total of 4541 patients were included. Patient characteristics were distributed evenly between right- and left-sided patients. Median follow-up was 13.7 years for OS. Survival rates at 15 years were 65.0% in patients with IMNI and 60.8% without leading to an adjusted HR of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.76–0.94; p = 0.0016) for OS. Corresponding HRs were 0.84 (95% CI, 0.74–0.95; p = 0.0077) for breast cancer mortality and HR 0.87 (95% CI, 0.78–0.98; p = 0.026) for distant metastasis. No subgroups were identified for the omission of IMNI. The 15-year cumulative incidence of death from ischemic or valvular heart disease was 0.2% (95% CI, 0.0–0.5) in right-sided and 0.7% (95% CI, 0.4–1.2) in left-sided patients. IMNI reduced distant metastasis and breast cancer mortality and improved OS in node-positive breast cancer patients, despite treatment with newer systemic therapies and 3D-based RT. This work was supported by the 10.13039/100008363 Danish Cancer Society and Department of Clinical Medicine, 10.13039/100007605 Aarhus University , Denmark.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are implemented as standard treatment for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in first-line and subsequent-line treatment. However, certain...

The Danish Breast Cancer Group (DBCG) IMN2 study investigated the gain from internal mammary node irradiation (IMNI) in node-positive breast cancer patients. IMNI was indicated in right-sided patients, but not in left-sided. Target volume delineations were based on bony landmarks in contrast to the contemporary vessel-based ESTRO consensus guideline. Our objective was to compare IMNI doses in right-sided versus left-sided patients. Treatment plans and delineated structures including CTVn_IMN (IMN_old) from 2008 to 2014 were collected from the DBCG RT Nation study. During the study period, IMN_old was only delineated in right-sided patients. Right and left-sided CTVn_IMN structures were auto-segmented following the ESTRO guidelines (IMN_ESTRO). Due to cranial discordance between IMN_old and IMN_ESTRO, the IMN_ESTRO models were separated into IMN_ESTRO_cranial and IMN_ESTRO_intercostal space(IC)1-3, IC1-4, and IC4_only. Treatment plans for 2837 patients were available (62.5 % of patients in the IMN2 study). In right-sided patients, the median IMN_old dose coverage (92.4 %) was higher than IMN_ESTRO (71.7 %), p < 0.001. Dose coverage in IMN_ESTRO_IC1-3 was comparable to IMN_old. Comparing IMN_ESTRO_IC1-3 in all patients by laterality, the median CTVn_V90% was 94.6 % (IQR 64.8-100.0) in right-sided patients and 20.4 % (IQR 0.9-55.8) in left-sided patients, p < 0.001. For right-sided patients, median CTV_V90% was 82.3 % in IMN_ESTRO_IC4_only. Median mean heart doses were lower in right-sided patients (1.2 Gy) than in left-sided (2.3 Gy), p < 0.001. Median mean lung doses were higher in right-sided patients (16.0 Gy) than in left-sided (12.7 Gy), p < 0.001. For IMN_ESTRO_IC1-3, we found a significantly higher IMN dose coverage in right-sided than in left-sided patients supporting treatment according to study guidelines in the DBCG IMN2 study.

Survival rates for breast cancer (BC) are increasing, leading to growing interest in treatment-related late-effects. The aim of the present study was to explore late effects using Patient-Reported ...