OBJECTIVES: Recent major advances in cancer treatment have been driven by availability of new immuno-oncology therapies. The aim of this study was to describe patient characteristics and current treatment patterns among adults in Germany with either metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC), head and neck squamous cell cancer (mHNSCC), or non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC).

METHODS: This retrospective observational study reported demographics, comorbidities (Charlson Comorbidity Index; CCI), and treatment using the Betriebskrankenkassen German Sickness Fund claims database. Patients included in this study were identified by ≥1 inpatient admission or ≥2 outpatient visits for diagnosed UC, HNSCC, or NSCLC with their first qualifying claim (index date) between Q1-2011 to Q4-2014. These patients were aged ≥18, and with continuous insurance coverage ≥12 months and no cancer therapy claims prior to the quarter of their first qualifying diagnosis. Patient follow-up was defined as the index date until the earliest of continuous enrollment, or survival to end of study period (Q4-2015), or death.

RESULTS: Patients with mUC (n=750), mHNSCC (n=458), and mNSCLC (n=2,745) were predominately male (68.6%) with a mean age of 65.3 (SD=10.2) years and a mean follow-up of 583.5 (SD=392.7) days. Those with mUC had a mean CCI of 2.0 (SD=2.0), most frequently reporting diabetes without chronic complication. Patients with mHNSCC and mNSCLS had a mean CCI of 1.7 (SD=2.0) and 1.9 (SD=2.0), respectively, with chronic pulmonary disease most common for each. Pyrimidine analogs (36.1%) followed by platinum therapy (26.4%) were the preferred therapies among mUC patients treated with antineoplastic agents. Platinum compounds were most frequently prescribed for mHNSCC (68.8%) and mNSCLC (56.6%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: While treatment patterns reported for this study were similar to German guidelines, the disease burden coupled with the seriousness of each of these tumor types suggests an ongoing need for more effective therapies.