Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Care

Abstract

We assessed the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare visits, timing of stage IV NSCLC diagnosis and immunotherapy initiation, and rates of switching to extended dosing schedules of immunotherapies among patients with stage IV NSCLC. This retrospective study examined electronic health record data of adult patients receiving treatment for stage IV NSCLC within The US Oncology Network and Onmark. Endpoints were compared for February–July 2019 (before COVID) vs. February–July 2020 (during COVID). The study found rapid decreases in numbers of patients with clinic/vital visits, immunotherapy initiations, and new diagnoses of stage IV NSCLC during April–May 2020 vs. April–May 2019. The rate of delays of immunotherapy administrations and proportions of patients with such delays increased from February to March of 2020. These patterns may have resulted from the increase in COVID-19 cases during this period and the corresponding quarantine and lockdowns. However, when comparing pre COVID-19 and during COVID-19 for May and after, the differences in delay of immuno-oncology administrations became less marked, likely due to lifting of lockdowns. The rate of switching from shorter to longer dosing schedules increased from May–July 2020. This was mainly attributed to pembrolizumab, likely due to FDA approval of the pembrolizumab 6W dosing schedule in April 2020.

Keywords

• COVID-19 impact on cancer care
• non-small cell lung cancer
• immunotherapy dosing schedule
• cancer treatment delay
• cancer screening delay
• cancer diagnosis delay