Pattern of care for advanced non-small cell lung cancer in the era of histology-based treatment: A survey of the Italian Association of Thoracic Oncology (AIOT)

Purpose and methods: To evaluate how the new strategic approaches impact on clinical practice for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Italy, an Italian survey was launched through the Italian Association of Thoracic Oncology (AIOT) website. The survey included 16 items with multiple answers: 4 regarding the professional characteristics of each member, 9 the first-line treatment, and 3 the second-line therapy. Results: From June 30 to July 30, 2008, 320 oncologists, AIOT members, were invited to fulfil the survey. A total of 176 (55%) out of 320 invited members completed the questionnaire. The data evidenced a high adherence to the International guidelines. In fact, the standard of care are platinum-based regimens for first-line therapy, single-agent chemotherapy for "special patients populations" including elderly and PS 2 patients, and licensed agents, i.e. docetaxel, pemetrexed and erlotinib, for second-line therapy. Moreover, great importance is given to the need of a specific histology diagnosis for an appropriate "histology-based treatment". Conclusions: The present survey highlights a high adherence to the International guidelines and the importance of choosing an appropriate "histology-based treatment" by the Italian oncologists.