Significantly better survival rates for lung cancer sufferers in the national genomic medicine network

27.11.2023 16:06

Through the networked personalized care of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer as part of the national network of genomic medicine (nNGM), the survival rate of the treated patients has significantly improved compared to a control group. This is shown by an evaluation study by the University Medical Center Greifswald and the University Hospital Cologne, funded by the AOK Federal Association, the results of which have now been published in the specialist journal “The Lancet Regional Health – Europe”.

Accordingly, a median survival of 10.5 months was achieved with treatment in nNGM, while it was only 8.7 months in the control group from standard care.

In this nationwide network, specialized centers work together with hospitals and oncology practices throughout Germany in the molecular pathological diagnosis and care of lung cancer patients. In the nNGM centers, patients' tumor samples are examined using state-of-the-art molecular diagnostics. All relevant mutations can be taken into account in a single examination, saving patients from having to take further samples and the associated risks. Experts experienced in the field of precision medicine then advise the cooperating clinics and resident doctors based on the findings regarding the best possible therapy for the individual patient.

Network promotes treatment with personalized medicines

“The results of our evaluation study show impressively clearly the benefits that this networked, personalized care has for patients,” emphasizes Professor Jürgen Wolf, medical director of the Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO) at the University Hospital of Cologne and spokesman for the nNGM. “Our data shows that treatment in the network leads to significantly better results and can promote the rapid implementation of the latest scientific findings in clinical practice,” report Professor Reinhard Büttner, Director of the Institute of Pathology at the University Hospital of Cologne, and Professor Christof von Kalle , director of the study center at the Berlin Institute of Health, both members of the nNGM coordination team. According to the results of the evaluation study, those patients who were eligible for targeted treatment benefited most. Of these, 79 percent (nNGM) and 66 percent (control group) were still alive after one year. According to the study, patients in the nNGM were treated with targeted medications in the first line significantly more frequently (8.4 percent) than patients in the control group (5.1 percent). This higher proportion of patients receiving personalized treatment plays a significant role in the survival advantage of the overall group of those treated with nNGM.

80 percent of those with statutory health insurance have access to network coverage

The genomic medicine network initiated by the University Hospital of Cologne in North Rhine-Westphalia was launched in 2013. With the help of project funding from German Cancer Aid, the network was rolled out nationwide a few years later in 2018. Since then it has been used by all AOKs and most other statutory ones Health insurance companies supported within the framework of supply contracts. AOK Rheinland/Hamburg, which was the first health insurance company to conclude a supply contract with the network in 2014 and thus made an important contribution to the subsequent nationwide roll-out, feels its commitment has been confirmed by the results: “Especially when it comes to cancer, it is clear that Treatment in specialized centers significantly increases the chances of survival and treatment success. This insight prompted us to cooperate with the national network for genomic medicine ten years ago,” says Matthias Mohrmann, deputy chairman of the board of AOK Rheinland/Hamburg. “Patients demonstrably benefit from networking. Through close cooperation, they benefit from both the high level of specialist expertise of scientific centers and the competence of their local doctors, who play a significant role in the treatment with their knowledge of individual life circumstances and the relationship of trust Insured access to care in the nNGM. “Currently, around 60 percent of all eligible patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer are treated in nNGM,” emphasizes Jens Martin Hoyer, deputy chairman of the AOK Federal Association. “We hope that the valuable findings from the evaluation study we financed will help this proportion to increase quickly.”

Study allows important conclusions to be drawn about lung cancer treatment in Germany

For the evaluation study, the data from 509 patients insured by the AOK who were treated as part of the nNGM between April 2019 and June 2020 were evaluated. The results were then compared with data from 7,213 AOK insured people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who had not been treated with nNGM. Health care researcher and epidemiologist Professor Wolfgang Hoffmann, head of the Institute for Community Medicine at Greifswald University Medical Center and head of the evaluation study, emphasizes: “The results of this study, based on real data from everyday care, allow important conclusions to be drawn about the treatment of advanced lung cancer patients in Germany. They underline the importance of networking specialized centers with a wide range of care for the transfer of knowledge of the latest research findings to the practice or hospital close to home. The study shows that the nNGM demonstrably improves the care of lung cancer patients.” The results are an encouragement for patients, doctors and scientists in the network.