Diego Díaz-García, Medical Oncologist, CEO, Founder of CánCare – High Specialty in Oncology, shared on X:
“Does access to targeted therapies for patients with advanced EGFR+ or ALK+ NSCLC depend on the care sector?
In our study, we analyzed real-world data from 324 patients in Mexico.
Population Characteristics
- 324 patients with advanced NSCLC.
- 63.6% male.
- 63.9% treated in the public sector.
- EGFR mutations: 47%.
- ALK rearrangements: 13%.
Molecular Diagnosis
Molecular testing rates for EGFR and ALK were higher in the private sector. This represents a significant gap right from the start of care: timely identification of an actionable alteration is essential to offering targeted therapy.
ALK+ Patients
Significant differences in treatment were observed:
- Private sector: 100% received second-generation ALK inhibitors.
- Public sector: 38.5% received second-generation inhibitors, 23.1% received first-generation inhibitors, and 23.1% received chemotherapy.
EGFR+ Patients
Access to third-generation inhibitors was higher in the private sector:
- Private: 45.5%.
- Public: 28.2%.
In the public sector, the use of first-generation inhibitors predominated (62.8%).
A higher frequency of supportive care was also observed in the private sector.
What do these findings mean?
Differences persist between the public and private sectors in molecular diagnosis, access to targeted therapies, and supportive care.
Although these observational data do not allow us to establish differences in clinical outcomes, they do identify priority areas for intervention.
Precision medicine should not depend on the healthcare sector.”
Title: Disparities in Treatment Patterns for Advanced ALK- and EGFR-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients in Mexico
Authors: Luis Arturo Sanchez Trujillo, Diego Armando Díaz García, Ida Caterina García-Appendini, Nohemi Caballero, Nils Ramirez Knape, Sandra Evangelina Herrera, Jose Francisco Olguin, Guilherme Silva Julian.
Read the full article in Thoracic Cancer.
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