First-line treatment result influence second-line regimen selection in targeted therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Sequential treatments using various targeted-therapies have been recommended for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. However, regimen selection remains difficult when adapting to various clinical situations. PATIENTS AND METHODS From 2006 to 2012, 29 patients who received sequential targeted-therapy at our hospital were included for analysis of the treatment regimens and outcome. RESULTS Patients who used sunitinib as first-line and axitinib as second-line treatment experienced a similar second-line treatment duration, as those used the same first-line and everolimus as the second-line regimen. The first-line sunitinib treatment duration was longer in the axitinib group. CONCLUSION Our data showed a promising sequential treatment result using sunitinib-axitinib and sunitinib-everolimus. In patients whose first-line sunitinib treatment resulted in primary resistance, second-line everolimus was found to still contribute a fair degree of disease control. Patients who responded to first-line sunitinib could also achieved fair disease control using second-line axitinib.