Sunitinib versus pazopanib for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma: 2 Turkish hospital experience.

INTRODUCTION

Sunitinib (SUN) and pazopanib (PAZ) are 2 oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors against vascular endothelial growth factor. Their efficacy and safety in metastatic renal cell carcinoma has been proven with phase iii studies. However, real world data is limited. The objective of this study is to assess the clinical benefit of SUN and PAZ in routine practice.

METHODS

We reviewed the medical records of 79 metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients treated with SUN (50mg/day on 4/2-schedule) or PAZ (800mg/day continuously). Patients were assessed retrospectively at 2 Turkish hospitals between 2006 and 2016.

RESULTS

For the entire cohort median age of patients was 60 (28-87) years and 70% of them were male. The objective response rate and disease control rate in SUN/PAZ groups were 34/37% (P=.96) and 78/87% (P=.046), respectively. With a median follow up duration of 15 months, median progression-free survival and overall survival in SUN/PAZ groups were 8/8 months (P=.83) and 22/21 months (P=.53), respectively. The common all grade toxicities for SUN vs. PAZ were fatigue (59 vs. 74%), skin changes (44 vs. 44%), anemia (35 vs. 42%), hypothyroidism (37 vs. 19%; P=.02) and hypertension (33 vs. 50%). In patients treated with SUN, total grade 3-4 toxicities (mean number of toxic events per patients) were 0.71, whereas in patients treated with PAZ, total grade 3-4 toxicities were 0.11 (P<.001). SUN was associated with an increased incidence of grade 3-4 fatigue (P=.007), anemia (P=.001) and hypothyroidism that needed therapy (P=.02). Dose reduction in 49 and 24% of patients (P=.02), and treatment cessation in 37 and 26% of patients (P=.37) were required in the SUN and PAZ groups, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, there was no difference in terms of survival outcomes between 2 agents. However, patients treated with SUN had more grade 3-4 adverse events which prompted dose reduction.