LAUSR

9102 Background: Chemotherapy is the primary treatment modality in elderly with Advanced-NSCLC (Adv-NSCLC), with ASCO/NCCN guideline recommending First-Line Chemotherapy (FL-Chemo) for at least 4 months. The objective of this study was to identify the determinants, and outcomes of early discontinuation of FL-Chemo, in a nationwide sample of elderly patients. Methods: We used NCI’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry linked Medicare (SEER-Medicare) 2007-2014 files. We included patients with NSCLC diagnosis in 2007-2013, age ≥65, AJCC Stage IIIB/IV, receiving only FL-Chemo (Identified using HCPCS/CPT codes), and surviving at least 9 months post-diagnosis. We excluded those with non-continuous Medicare enrollment, or HMO enrollment. Patients receiving 1-3 months (vs. 4-7 months) of FL-Chemo were characterized as those experiencing early discontinuation. Patient’s performance status and comorbidity burden were assessed using previously validated algorithms. Survival was calculated from the diagnosis date to the date of death/study end date. Chi-square test, logistic regression, survivor function, proportional hazards regression, and propensity score–adjusted modeling were conducted. Results: We identified 1,029 patients (meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria) with incident Adv-NSCLC during the study years. Of those, 43.2% patients experienced early discontinuation. Adjusted analysis revealed Age as the only significant factor associated with early FL-Chemo discontinuation, with odds increasing with increase in age (p < 0.035). Other patient factors (non-clinical and clinical factors including performance score, comorbidity) were not associated with early discontinuation in any model. Survival outcomes and mortality risk were poor among those experiencing early discontinuation, however the difference was not statistically significant (p < 0.165). Conclusions: A large proportion of elderly with Adv-NSCLC experience early discontinuation of FL-Chemo. Even after controlling for variability in patient performance score and comorbidity burden, Age remained a key factor associated with early discontinuation, raising a cause for concern. Future studies need to explore the impact of Age along with patient reported Quality of Life on early treatment discontinuation.