Guideline-concordant timely lung cancer care and prognosis among elderly patients in the United States: A population-based study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Elderly carry a disproportionate burden of lung cancer in the US. Therefore, its important to ensure that these patients receive quality cancer care. Timeliness of care is an important dimension of cancer care quality but its impact on prognosis remains to be explored. This study evaluates the variations in guideline-concordant timely lung cancer care and prognosis among elderly in the US.

Materials and methods

Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database (2002-2007), we identified elderly patients with lung cancer (n=48,850) and determined time to diagnosis and treatment. We categorized patients by receipt of timely care using guidelines from the British Thoracic Society and the RAND Corporation. Hierarchical generalized logistic

SUBMITTER: Nadpara P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4679644 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature