Immuno-oncology (IO) combination therapy has become the standard of treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In this retrospective study, we compared the efficacy of first-line molecular targeted therapy (MTT), administered as monotherapy, and IO combination therapy using real-world data of Japanese patients.
The clinical information of 202 patients with RCC who received MTT (n=144) or IO combination therapy (n=58) at the Kurume University Hospital from May 2008 to May 2022 was collected and retrospectively analyzed. The Cox proportional hazards model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses, with hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) calculated.
The patients treated with IO combination therapy had a prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) compared with those treated with MTT (p=0.0038). IO combination therapy was significantly associated with a better PFS in patients with intermediate (p=0.0072) and poor risk (p=0.0411) but not in those with favorable risk (p=0.5434). Furthermore, overall survival with IO combination therapy was significantly better in patients at poor risk (p=0.0335). Multivariate analyses suggested that prior nephrectomy (HR=1.501, 95%CI=1.048-2.150, p=0.0268) and first-line therapy (HR=1.962, 95%CI=1.288-2.986, p=0.0017) were independent prognostic factors for PFS.
IO combination therapy significantly improved the PFS of patients with advanced RCC, especially those with intermediate- and poor-risk disease. Further investigations focusing on the improvement of survival are warranted.
Anticancer research. 2022 Sep [Epub]
Kosuke Ueda, Shigetaka Suekane, Hirofumi Kurose, Naoki Ito, Naoyuki Ogasawara, Tasuku Hiroshige, Katsuaki Chikui, Kazuhisa Ejima, Keiichiro Uemura, Makoto Nakiri, Kiyoaki Nishihara, Mitsunori Matsuo, Tsukasa Igawa
Department of Urology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan ., Department of Urology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.