Abstract

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in young patients (under 45 years old) is a distinct clinical entity with several differences compared to the general population. This study aimed to describe the clinical, paraclinical characteristics and outcomes in young patients diagnosed with advanced-stage NSCLC at Vietnam National Cancer Hospital.

Methods: a retrospective study on patients under 45 years of age with confirmed stage IIIC–IV NSCLC who received treatment at Vietnam National Cancer Hospital from January 2023 to December 2024

Results: A total of 65 patients were included, with a mean age of 40 ± 4.8 years. Most were female and had no history of smoking. The rate of actionable genetic mutations was high (78.5%), primarily EGFR (58.5%) and ALK (20%). First-line treatment mainly consisted of targeted therapy. The overall response rate was 40%, and the disease control rate was 84.6%. The median progression-free survival (mPFS) was 12.8 ± 1.5 months.

Conclusion: NSCLC in young patients exhibits distinct epidemiological, clinical, and molecular features, including a predominance in females, non-smokers, late-stage diagnosis, adenocarcinoma histology, and a high prevalence of driver mutations. These characteristics support the importance of personalized treatment approaches to improve outcomes in this patient population.