In RCC, Second-line Therapy May Improve Overall Survival

Patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who receive second-line therapy may have longer overall survival, according to treatment patterns in the United Kingdom published in Annals of Oncology.¹

Researchers led by John Wagstaff, MD, MB, ChB, FRCP, of the South West Wales Cancer Institute & Swansea University College of Medicine in London, England, studied data from 514 UK adults with RCC as part of the RECCORD registry, a real-world UK database that anonymously assessed for demographics, treatments and outcomes across cancer centers in England, Scotland, and Wales.

Patients were included if they were treated for metastatic RCC with systemic anti-cancer treatment from March 2009 to November 2012, and were measured for overall survival, time to disease progression and toxicity.

Most patients received first-line treatment with sunitinib, while first-line use of pazopanib increased as the study progressed. Median overall survival was found to be 23.9 months, which was similar to that reported for clinical trials of targeted RCC therapies.

The researchers found that 15.8% of patients received second-line treatment, half of whom were given everolimus. Overall survival was found to be significantly longer for those who received second-line treatment after disease progression compared to those who did not.

Reference

1. Wagstaff J, Jones R, Hawkins R, et al. Treatment patterns and clinical outcomes in patients with renal cell carcinoma in the UK: insights from the RECCORD registry [published online ahead of print October 21, 2015]. Annals of Oncology. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdv504.