Severe clinical toxicities are correlated with survival in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma treated with sunitinib and sorafenib

Abstract

Background: In advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), sunitinib and sorafenib tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) are associated with several clinical side effects, with no definitive established data concerning their clinical impact. Methods: From June 2006 to June 2008, main clinical TKI-induced toxicities, including digestive, cardiac, dermatologic and asthenia were retrospectively collected using the NCI-CTC version 3.0 in patients treated with TKI for an RCC. Results: The median overall survival was significantly improved in patients with grade 3-4 clinical toxicities (36 vs 12 months, P<0.009). In multivariate analysis, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center risk groups (good vs intermediate or poor) and clinical toxicities (grade 3-4 vs 1-2) were identified as independent prognostic factors of better survival (P<0.002 and P=0.02, respectively). The Charlson comorbidity index score (>7 vs <7) was identified as independent predictive factor of severe clinical TKI-induced toxicities (P=0.02). Conclusion: In this unselected patients of RCC, clinical TKI-related severe toxicities were more frequent in patients with comorbidities and were associated with better survival. © 2011 Cancer Research UK All rights reserved.