Lung cancer patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase rearrangement lose affiliation with labor market at diagnosis

Aim: The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the labor market affiliation of ALK+ NSCLC patients in long-term treatment as well as overall survival and incidence/prevalence. Materials & methods: Nationwide retrospective study of all patients with ALK+ NSCLC in Denmark diagnosed between 2012 and 2018. Results: During the study period ALK+ NSCLC patients had a median overall survival of 44.0 months and a 7.8-fold increase in disease prevalence. Six months prior to diagnosis, 81% of ALK+ NSCLC patients <= 60 years of age were employed. At the end of the 18-month follow-up period, 36% were employed. Conclusion: ALK+ NSCLC patients have prolonged survival following diagnosis, but a large fraction of patients lose affiliation with the labor market. The purpose of this study was to examine the employment status and survival of patients with ALK+ NSCLC who are undergoing long-term treatment. The researchers conducted a study analyzing data from all such patients diagnosed between 2012 and 2018 in Denmark. The results showed that ALK+ NSCLC patients had a median overall survival of 44.0 months and a that the number of patients increased almost eightfold during the study period. Prior to diagnosis, 81% of ALK+ NSCLC patients who were 60 years of age or younger were employed. However, at the end of the 18-month follow-up period, only 36% of these patients were still employed. In conclusion, ALK+ NSCLC patients tend to have prolonged survival after diagnosis. However, a considerable proportion of these patients lose their affiliation with the labor market, indicating the impact of the disease on employment status. ALK+ NSCLC patients have prolonged survival following diagnosis, but a large fraction of patients lose affiliation with the labor market following diagnosis. #alkpositive #lcsm.